And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Transcription

1 The Life of Christ - Lesson 17 On the Way to Jerusalem - at Capernaum Time - 9/29 AD The Argument over who was Greater. Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" [a] 18:2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. [b] 18:4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 18:5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name [c] welcomes me. Mark 9:33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 9:34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." 9:36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 9:37 1 / 24

2 "Whoever welcomes [d] one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Luke 9:46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 9:4 7 J esus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 9:48 Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all-he is the greatest." The Man (Unknown Believer) driving out Demons Mark 9:38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man [e] driving out demons in your name [f] and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." 9:39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 9:40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name [g] because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. Luke 9:49 "Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." 9:50 "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you." 2 / 24

3 Sins against the "Little Ones" Matthew 18:6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones [h] who believe in me to sin, [i] it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 18:7 "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 18:8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 18:9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. [j] 18:10 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Mark 9:42 "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. 9: 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 9:44 [k] 9:45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 9:46 [l] 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 9:48 where " their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' [m] 9:49 Everyone will be salted with for the fire. [n] 3 / 24

4 9:50 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? [o] Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." The Love of God for the Lost Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man came to save that which was lost. [p] 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 18:13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. [q] 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. The Mercy We Should Show to the Brother who Sins against Us Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, [r] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 18:16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. [s] Why We Should be Generous Matthew 18:18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and 4 / 24

5 whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. [t] 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." [u] The Measure of God's Mercy Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 18:22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 18:23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 18:24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 18:25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 18:26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me,' he begged, and I will pay back everything.' 18:27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 18:28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 18:29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 18:30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 18:31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 18:32 "Then the master called the servant in. You wicked servant,' he said, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 18:33 5 / 24

6 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' [v] 18:34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 18:35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." [w] On the Way to Jerusalem and the Feast of Tabernacles 10/29 AD Luke 9:51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for steadfastly set his face to go to [x] Jerusalem. 9:52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village [y] to get things ready for him; 9:53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. [z] 9:54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" 9:55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 9:56 and they went to another village. 9:57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 6 / 24

7 9:58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, [aa] but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." [bb] 9:59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." [cc] 9:60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." [dd] 9:61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 9:62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." John 7:1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 7:2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles [ee] was near, 7:3 Jesus' brothers [ff] said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 7:4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. [gg] " 7:5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him. [hh] 7:6 Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. 7 / 24

8 7:8 You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come." 7:9 Having said this, he stayed in Galilee. 7:10 However, after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. John 7:11 Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" 7:12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people." 7:13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. 7:14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 7:15 The Jews were amazed [ii] and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" [jj] 7:16 Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 7:17 If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. [kk] 7:18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 7:19 Has not Moses given you the law? [ll] Yet not one of you keeps the law. [mm] Why are you trying to kill me?" 7:20 "You are demon-possessed," the crowd answered. "Who is trying to kill you?" 7:21 Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle, [nn] and you are all astonished. [oo] [pp] 8 / 24

9 7:22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. 7:23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, [qq] why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? [rr] 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." 7:25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? 7:26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? 7:27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." [ss] 7:28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me [tt] is true. You do not know him, 7:29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me." 7:30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 7:31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?" 7:32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests (high priests) and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. 7:33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; [uu] and where I am, you cannot come." 7:35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? [vv] 9 / 24

10 7:36 What did he mean when he said, You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and Where I am, you cannot come'?" 7:37 On the last [ww] and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood [xx] and said in a loud voice, [yy] "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. [zz] 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [aaa] 7:39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. 7:40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet." 7:41 Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 7:42 Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 7:43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 7:44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 7:45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests (high priests) and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?" 7:46 "No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards declared. 7:47 "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. 7:48 "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 7:49 No! [bbb] But this mob that knows nothing of the law-there is a curse on them." 7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 7:51 10 / 24

11 "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" [ccc] 7:52 They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." --- 7:53 Then each went to his own home. Two of the Five Psalms ( ) Sung at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jesus' Day Psalm 114 Each figure here speaks of the life and death of Jesus Christ. The sea (judgment) fled before the staff (cross), the Jordan turned back before the Ark (Christ), the mountain (Sinai) trembled because of the Holy Judgment of God, the ram and the lamb were sacrificial animals that spoke of Christ, the rock was Christ. When they sang that day, "tremble at the presence of the Lord" they little realized the immediacy of those words. Psalms 114:1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, 114:2 Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 114:3 The sea looked and fled, [d dd] the Jordan turned back; [eee] 114:4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. [fff] 114:5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back, 114:6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs? 114:7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 11 / 24

12 114:8 who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. [ggg] Psalm 118 The Psalm is Messianic in that it obviously is speaking of Christ in verse 22. It is quoted as a Messianic Psalm five times in the New Testament. It also contains the passage that the Jews sang when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The Psalm celebrates the love of God, and the victory He has given through His Son. The most difficult question is whose is the voice of the Psalm. The Psalm is in the first person singular (I, me, mine) until verse 23 and then becomes first person plural (us, we, ours). I have no doubt that the "I" in the Psalm is Christ. The interpretation of the "we" is a little more difficult, but it could be speaking of Jesus and his followers. Psalms 118:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 118:2 Let Israel say: "His love endures forever." 118:3 Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever." 118:4 Let those who fear the LORD say: [hhh] "His love endures forever." 118:5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. 118:6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 118:7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies. 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 118:9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. 118:10 All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off circumcised them. [iii] 118:11 They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off circumcised them. [jjj] 118:12 12 / 24

13 They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off circumcised them. [kkk] 118:13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. [lll] 118:15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's right hand [mmm] has done mighty things! 118:16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!" 118:17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. 118:18 The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 118:19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; [nnn] I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 118:20 This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. [ooo] 118:21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. [ppp] 118:22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; [qqq] 118:23 the LORD has done this, [rrr] and it is marvelous in our eyes. [sss] 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 118:25 O LORD, save us; [ttt] O LORD, grant us success. 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. [uuu] 13 / 24

14 From the house of the LORD we bless you. 118:27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar bind the feast with cords to the horns of the altar. [vvv] 118:28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. 118:29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. [a] I cannot help believing that Judas Iscariot (who was so concerned with wealth that he was a thief) was probably the instigator of much of this. [b] Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples, and was a lost unbeliever. [c] To do something "in the name" of Jesus means to act with the authority or power of Jesus. [d] The word translated "welcomes" in this passage is *gp@:"4 the first meaning of which is "to take with the hand." Thus someone who gives a hand in the name of Christ, at the same time takes the hand of Jesus Christ and God the Father. [e] Considering that they had just spent several months in Decapolis and Trachonitis, it is possible this man was a convert of the Demoniac of Gadara. Or possibly the man himself. After over a year he would have been unrecognizable from the man who had been living in the tombs for years. [f] John, realizing from what Jesus had said about the status of someone doing something in the name of Christ, probably understood that what they had done was wrong, and asked Jesus about it.. [g] The act has to be done "in the name of Jesus." Only those who bear His name can do things in His name. [h] Who believe like a little child. Does not refer just to literal children. 14 / 24

15 [i] Certainly, Judas Iscariot who heard this in person, created great doubt and confusion among the "children" when he betrayed the Lord. Of course the principal applies to anyone attacking the faith or the faithful. [j] Of course neither hand, nor foot, nor eye ever cause sin. It is the thinking of the soul. It would seem easy and painless cut off the spiritually evil heart in comparison to casting out the physical hand, foot, or eye, but it often does not happen. [k] Mark 9:44 Textus Receptus "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." [l] Mark 9:46 Textus Receptus "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." [m] It is important to remember that Judas Iscariot was one of the disciples, and probably the instigator of much of this train of thinking by the disciples. [n] Better rendered "salted for the fire." Leviticus 2:13 "Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." [o] "--- all offerings were to be without admixture of leaven or of honey; the latter probably because, from its tendency to fermentation or corruption, it resembled leaven. For a similar reason salt, as the symbol of incorruption, was to be added to all sacrifices. Hence we read in Mark 9:49--'For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt'; that is, as the salt is added to the sacrifice symbolically to point to its incorruption, so the reality and permanence of our Christian lives will be brought out by the fire of the great day, when what is wood, hay, and stubble shall be consumed; while that which is real shall prove itself incorruptible, having had the fire applied to it." Alfred Edersheim, The Temple--Its Ministry and Services, Chapter 5. [p] Matthew18:11 Textus Receptus "For the Son of man came to save that which was lost." [q] Remember, that according to Isaiah 53:6 we all have gone astray. 15 / 24

16 [r] Note that this is a sin against "you," not necessarily a sin against God. [s] It is worth noting that only Matthew the "tax collector" recounts this passage that reminds the disciples how to treat the sinning brother that sins against them. The unspoken message is to treat them like God treats those who have sinned against Him. For instance like He treated a tax collector named Matthew, with grace. [t] Remember that this was the same authority granted to Peter as being a chip of the Rock in Matthew 16:19. [u] These last three verses answer why we should not have to jealously guard ourselves against being sinned against by our brothers. [v] Exactly the same message he had told more subtly when He said to treat your brother like a tax collector. [w] Like all such analogies, the similarity between God and the human king in the story is only partial, not exact. There is no implication that those who do not forgive their brothers will lose their salvation, but only that they will be committing a sin which will need God's forgiveness anew. [x] This is the literal translation. What it means is that from this time in His ministry Jesus was focused on Jerusalem and what He had to do there on Passover. The rest of His ministry orbited around Jerusalem. Besides this visit, He also went there for the Feast of Dedication (Hanukah in December) and the final Passover. [y] We know that Jesus was trying to avoid attention. Taking this route to go to the Feast of Tabernacles confirms it. At this time of the year (close to the end of the long dry season) nearly all the Jews coming from the direction of Galilee would avoid the hostility of the Samaritans altogether and journey down the eastern bank of the Jordan to the fords of the Jordan where crossing the greatly diminished river was no problem. At Passover, they had no choice as the Jordan was nearly impassable at that time of the year. [z] The Samaritans did not recognize the Temple at Jerusalem as valid. The Samaritan woman in John 4:24 had stated the matter: "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." 16 / 24

17 [aa] Foxes (Song of Songs 2:15) and birds of the air (Luke 8:5) spoke of destructive forces in the Jewish agricultural economy as they destroyed crops and ate up the seeds. [bb] The underlying message is that in this world, those who destroy the Garden are at home, while the true gardener (and those with him) seem to be outcasts. [cc] I have heard it taught that Jesus is telling the man to skip his father's funeral, so that he doesn't miss a moment. That is not at all what the passage is saying. In those days of a mainly agrarian economy, where the wealth of most families was passed from generation to generation, the father owned the land or other capital by which the sons made a living. Until the father died the son was dependent. This disciple of Jesus was not asking if he could take a few hours to go to a funeral. He was asking if he could wait a few years until he buried his father and was economically independent before he started being a full time disciple. [dd] These first two requests were similar to the exchange in Matthew 8:19-22 almost a year earlier. There is no reason to expect that this was not repeated many times as would-be disciples were challenged to understand the demands of discipleship by the Lord. [ee] The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day feast with an additional feast on the eighth day. It started on the fifteenth day of the seventh month according to Leviticus 23: During the first seven nights there were elaborate Temple lighting ceremonies during which four towering menorahs were lit. This was followed by a singing by the Levitical choirs of the Psalms of Degrees (Psalms ) at the top of the 15 step stair case at the head of the Court of the Women. With each of the 15 Psalms they descended one step. The evening ceremonies were culminated by the water pouring ceremony early each morning. This ceremony consisted of the High priest going to the Pool of Siloam and filling a golden pitcher with water from the pool and taking it back to the Temple where it was poured in the sight of the people into a silver basin which was part of the Stone Altar. This ceremony is thought to be related to Isaiah's words in Isaiah 12:3 "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." At this time the Levitical choir would sing Psalms It is against this backdrop that Jesus said "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:36-37) and "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."( John 8:12) [ff] (1.) Joseph - proposed as a replacement for Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve in Acts 1. Matthias was chosen instead. (2.) James - served as Bishop of Jerusalem until martyred in 63 AD. Wrote the Epistle of James in New Testament. (3.) Jude - traveling Apostle who wrote Epistle of Jude in New Testament. (4.) Siimon - According to Philip Schaff in his History of the Christian Church, Chapter 2) Simon the brother of James was supposed to have been the Bishop of Jerusalem at the end of his long life. He was martyred in 107 AD. [gg] This was October 29 AD. Since Passover March 27 AD Jesus had been to Jerusalem only once. 17 / 24

18 [hh] The attitude of his brothers was prophesied in Psalms 69:8-9 "I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother's sons; for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." However, by the time of Pentecost, all four of Jesus' half brothers had believed (Acts 1:14). [ii] The Greek word gi2"l:">t which means "wonder" but more in the sense of intense consideration, or being perplexed than the "awestruck" connotation of "astonished." This is the same word translated "astonished" in verse 21. [jj] That is, in one of the schools of the Rabbis, like Gamaliel's, where Paul studied. Of course, Jesus studied constantly, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit and the Father. [kk] This is an important principal for anyone, anywhere, at any time in history who says yes to the revelation of God in this world. They will be given sufficient information to act of the Gospel of God. The following are the passages in the Law of Moses related to the Feast of Tabernacles: Leviticus 23:33-36 "The LORD said to Moses, Say to the Israelites: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.'" Deuteronomy 16:13-15 "Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete." Deuteronomy 31:10-13 "Then Moses commanded them: At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people--men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear 18 / 24

19 the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.'" [ll] Here Jesus is invoking the law of Moses which applied to Him: Deuteronomy 18:18-22 " I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.' You may say to yourselves, How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." Jesus says God put His words in His mouth thus invoking the command of Moses. Nothing that Jesus had spoken or commanded had failed to come to pass. The Jews were without excuse. They not only failed to listen to Jesus, thus breaking the Law of Moses, but they were trying to kill Him. [mm] Jesus was not talking about the Law as a whole, but the specific command mentioned in the previous footnote. [nn] The Greek word gd(@< is translated "miracle" here, although it should be "work." [oo] The Greek word gi2"l:">t which means "wonder" but more in the sense of intense consideration, or being perplexed than the "awestruck" connotation of "astonished." This translation seems to follow from the mistranslation of gd(@< as "miracle." [pp] I believe a better interpretation would be "I did one work (on the Sabbath) and you are still perplexed." This is evidently referring to the occasion over a year previous, the last time Jesus was in Jerusalem, when He cured the crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5). 19 / 24

20 [qq] Every child was to be circumcised on the eighth day regardless of whether it was the Sabbath or not. [rr] It would also be breaking the law not to show mercy and love to the suffering. (Leviticus 19:18) [ss] The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, The Descent, Chapter VI, Alfred Edersheim. "It was a settled popular belief, and, in a sense, not quite unfounded, that the appearance of the Messiah would be sudden and unexpected." [tt] Again Jesus invokes the promise of God through Moses that is mentioned above. God sent Him! [uu] Song of Solomon 3:1,3:2,5:6. [vv] No doubt, John recalls these words with irony, because through Paul, Peter, and John and the other disciples, He had, in a way, done exactly that. Of course as the Jews said these words in 30 AD, they revealed their attitude toward carrying the word of God to the Gentiles which filtered into the Jewish believers. [ww] The Psalm of the last day according to Edersheim was Psalms 82:5-8 "'They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. "I said, You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler.' Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance." This is the Psalm of Asaph which despairs at the fact that Solomon was the false messiah. [xx] The people would have just finished singing Psalms 118:26-29 "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." [yy] See Psalms 40:9a "I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly." This was the "great assembly." 20 / 24

21 [zz] This is probably the most dramatic moment of Jesus' teaching ministry to the Jews. It is similar to the bread of life message in John 6:35-58, but more dramatic in that it was delivered in the Temple Courts during the Feast of Tabernacles. It is paraphrasing Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55:1-5 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David (the promise of David's greater son - the Messiah). See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations (the y/g {goy} Gentiles) you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." [aaa] This concept is taught in Isaiah 58:11"The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. It is also taught in Jeremiah 17:7-13 which concludes with "O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water." [bbb] Of course we know that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had believed in Jesus but had concealed it in fear of the rest. [ccc] Basically referring to Deuteronomy 18:18-22, footnote d page 6. [ddd] The crossing of the Red Sea under Moses' leadership. [eee] The crossing of the Jordan under Joshua's leadership. [fff] Exodus 19:18 describes how the Mt. Sinai trembled violently. [ggg] See Exodus 17:6 where Moses struck the rock at Horeb and water came forth. 21 / 24

22 [hhh] Notice the progression. First "Israel" (the physical seed of Abraham), second the "house of Aaron" (the priests) and then "those that fear the Lord" (by extension all mankind). [iii] Interestingly, the Hebrew word in the Hiphil tense is -&/ {mool} which according to Strong's means "to cause to be circumcised." Although every translation I found translates this "I will cut them off" or "I will destroy them" I find it intriguing that this is spoken of "the nations"(.*&# {go'-eem} which usually speaks of the uncircumcised Gentiles. Since this is the voice of Christ, perhaps it is telling us that by His death Jesus circumcised the nations. Paul tells the Gentile Colossians as much: Colossians 2:11 "In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." [jjj] The word here is the same as above - -&/ {mool} in the Hiphil. [kkk] The word here is the same as above - -&/ {mool} in the Hiphil. [lll] As is noted often in the Messianic Psalms Jesus had to rely on the salvation and deliverance of the Father. It was He who delivered Jesus from the grave "because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay."(psalm 16:10, Acts 2:27) Also, in Psalms 89:26 it speaks of the son of David, first born son of the Father, ruler of the earth as addressing God as "my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior." [mmm] Here follow three descriptions of the work of the Lord's right hand. The right hand is understood to be the hand of power and implementation. The second person of the Trinity is the one who implements the Father's plan. The Lord's right hand is Jesus Christ. [nnn] John 10:2-4 "The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." [ooo] John 10:7-9 "Therefore Jesus said again, I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.'" [ppp] See note on verse / 24

23 [qqq] Jesus quoted verses 22 and 23 in the Temple the next day: Matthew 21:42-44 "Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Mark 12:10 "Haven't you read this scripture: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" Luke 20:17-18 "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone'? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." This would tend to indicate that in the mind of the Lord, that the Hosannas were always associated with the rest of the Psalm. These verses are also quoted by Peter as speaking of Christ: Acts 4:10-11 "Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.'" 1 Peter 2:6-8 "For in Scripture it says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and, A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.'" [rrr] This is speaking of the Father, who by raising Jesus Christ from the dead and accepting His sacrifice, has made him the capstone or cornerstone. [sss] Here the voice of the Psalm switches from the singular first person (I, me, and my), to the plural first person, (we, us, and our). Perhaps, this is the Lord enjoining the attitude Israel (us) should have. Prophetically it was fulfilled, although the people fulfilling it did not understand. Perhaps, that is why the Lord said to the Pharisees when they complained about the rejoicing Hosannas Luke 19:40 "I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." The Psalm changes back to the first person in the last verse perhaps speaking of the fact that thanksgiving in the end has to be personal and singular. 23 / 24

24 [ttt] Literally in the Hebrew!1! 3:* yasha anna or Hosanna as was rendered in the Gospels. [uuu] The Jews were shouting this passage when they welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem on the week in 30 A.D. (Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, John 12:13). [vvv] Literally in the Hebrew this sentence should read, "Bind the feast with cords to the horns of the altar." The various translations differ widely, but they all seem to interpret rather than translate this passage. Perhaps since this Psalm was chanted before the Passover Feast of 30 AD, it is saying that the meaning of this feast cannot be separated from the Cross (the true altar) and the great sacrifice of God. It should be remembered that "horns" always stood for power, thus the "horns of the altar" speaks of the power of the cross. 24 / 24