The Enemies Reaction to Jesus' Kingdom
Book of Matthew Chapter 15
As we go further into the Book of Matthew, we see more and more of Satan inspired hatred for the Messiah. If we want to ask ourselves what is wrong with America today, America is suffering heavily from Satan inspired hatred and it is only going to get worse.
Rev_12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
The Lord knows what is going on in all His creation at all times!
We must know we live amongst our enemy!
We can also realize that this place is not our home, Heaven is our home we are only pilgrims passing through.
Heb_11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
As Jesus goes about the things He came to do, the super religious crowd from Jerusalem approaches Him to try in any way possible to make Him look bad before the people who were following Him.
*****Mat 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Mat 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
If we think about it these disciples of Jesus Christ were beginning to see the power in the truth of God.
They were also seeing things that none other than our Creator and our Messiah could be doing.
There was nothing magical about what the Lord Jesus was doing!
Jesus was just being who He is and who He is the Almighty Living God!
We see the Word of God is not questioned by these hypocrites sent from Jerusalem, it was man's laws that are brought into question.
What are traditions?
The Jews were pretending that, besides their written law contained in the Pentateuch, God delivered to Moses an oral law, which was handed down from generation to generation.
Which is not true!
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The question is not that we should eat with clean hands which we should when we can.
Many a construction worker will eat their lunch with the same hands they work with.
This is where that prayer to the Lord thanking Him for our meal is so important. This prayer will protect us while we eat.
It is the ritual cleansing of the hands that is brought into question here.
A ritual cleansing is not intended to truly clean it is only symbolic of God's cleansing and a prayer is much better than anything symbolic.
The Lord Jesus, God in the flesh just tells them, how can you judge someone else when you are also a sinner?
Jesus tells us the same thing today!
In fact Jesus says, "you will know them by their actions". It is called discernment.
*****Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
The Lord Jesus ask them a serious question. Jesus said: how can you use your man-made laws to overrule God's Law?
This is what traditions will do in most cases!
The Lord Jesus is not just wise, He is Wisdom Himself!
Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
You cannot defeat the Lord by asking Him questions!
Mat 22:46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Anything that goes against the written Word of God is false!
We should understand that every question asked by these hypocrites was designed to cause the Lord to fail in front of the people who were following Him.
What had God told Moses?
*****Mat 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Mat 15:5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Mat 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
What are the faults of religionist? Religionist set aside the Word of God for tradition.
What had God said?
Deu 5:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
Mat 4:10 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.
We are guilty of sin if we put anything in the place of God.
If we put some manmade tradition in front of the Word of God, we have placed God second when He must remain first in our lives, and this includes all His written Word rightly divided!
We all know that when our parents get pass the age where they can take care of themselves, they may need our help.
This was even worse in the time of Jesus.
Many who had been misled by these hypocrites would tell their parents when they asked for help that they had dedicated any extra they had to the Temple and could not help them.
We do not know if this was done for spite or other reasons, but this allowed for a manmade tradition to supersede the written Word of God that they were so proud to claim. They had a name for this they called it Corban.
Jesus rebuke them for this thing:
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
What name did Jesus use for those who did such things?
*****Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Now I did not say this. These are the words that our Lord Jesus Christ used for all those who put man made laws and traditions before the Word of God.
God is not happy with such people who claim to be true to the Word of God.
Isa 9:17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
Isa 9:18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
Isa 9:19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.
We have a bundle of these who have become politicians who claim that Jesus as their Savior yet write laws that go against the Word of God.
They should understand they cannot come before a righteous God and survive!
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
The Lord says they are willfully blind to the truth of God:
Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
Job 20:6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
Job 20:7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
What are some things that are used today?
Church Attendance becomes greater than the Word of God.
Rituals become greater than the Word of God.
Ceremonies become greater than the Word of God.
Some use manmade objects to keep them religiously saved become greater than the Word of God.
Some actually believe that prayers could come before the truth of God.
The Word of God rightly divided is our guide to a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ!
Nothing can be substituted for the truth of God!
Again what words did our Lord Jesus use?
*****Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
The Lord Jesus Himself teaches us how we are to worship our Heavenly Father:
Joh_4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh_4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
A hypocrite is not then a true worshiper!
All those in this entire world who reject the Lord Jesus Christ cannot truly worship our Heavenly Father!
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
We cannot know God if we reject Jesus Christ!
We will never see God if we reject the Lord Jesus Christ!
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
We cannot worship God without the Holy Spirit living within us!
Traditions have no place in the worship of our Heavenly Father!
Hypocrites do not have the Holy Spirit living within them, no matter what they say!
*****Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mat 15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Mat 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
If there is anything that is false in our worship, then we worship the Lord in vain!
We should understand that ritualistic and tradition filled religion is the same as what these Pharisees had.
Traditions, rituals, holidays, manmade ministries, invented ceremonies, all supersede the Word of God.
This is the reason most holidays have become no more than commercial days set aside to keep people from giving to the Church.
We cannot set aside our own inventions and traditions as part of the Word of God.
We know that these Pharisees had no room for Christ, and it is the same for the false Church where we can no longer find Christ.
We should remember what Age we live in!
We live in the Laodicean Church Age!
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Jesus immediately called to the multitude and said, "hear and understand".
Jesus Christ never knew fear and He has told us to do the same!
If there is no Holy Spirit within then only evil will dwell.
It is evil within, that defiles us!
These Pharisee looked upon themselves as the leaders and religious leaders, but Jesus said they were leading all the Jews to Hell!
Mat 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
It did not matter to Jesus that He offended these men.
They were of no use to the Kingdom of God!
Then Peter said explain this to me because all Jews looked up to the Pharisees.
When we do not understand we need to go directly to the Lord!
*****Mat 15:15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Mat 15:16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
It is a simple bodily function. Anything that goes in our mouth finds its way into our bellies and the unneeded things go out our bottoms.
It is the process of nourishment.
All things that go out of the mouth come from the heart.
It is the things in our heart that make us good or bad!
The true source of defilement comes from within us, and our Lord looks into our heart to know the real person.
A corrupt heart is the true source of our misery in this life!
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Why did Jesus scold the disciples?
Because it was easily seen that these Pharisee had their own religion, and it did not include the Messiah because it did not include Jehovah God.
*****Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
The Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us from evil and this certainly includes every false religion where the Lord Jesus Christ is not the Messiah!
In fact Jesus is that Messiah as taught to the Jews by Moses:
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Deu 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
This Prophet's name is Jesus!
1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
What comes from the heart of those who are lost?
Evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Even when we are saved some of these same thoughts will be used by Satan against us, but having the Holy Spirit within us gives us the power to overcome these things.
Depravity is what we see throughout our world today!
We live in a sin filled world!
All depravity comes from the heart.
It gets into our minds until we act upon them, and this is where sin comes from.
If good comes from us, then our heart is shown to be good!
If evil and wickedness come from us, then our heart is shown to be bad.
Jas_2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
You see it is our works after we are saved, that show the world that we belong to Jesus.
There should be evidence of a new life a life that resembles that of the Lord Jesus Christ!
This is why Jesus says we must be Born Again!
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
We must have a renewed mind!
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
There is more to it, than just saying "I'm saved"!
Amen
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