Recap

So far in Mathew, we've read through the prologue, the first four blocks of Jesus' ministry, and started the fifth block. Matthew opens with a genealogy and the story of Jesus' birth. Both rooted Jesus in Old Testament prophecy and allusions. He's a descendant of David, born through the Holy Spirit. A king and the son of God. He's given gifts from wise men that match what was given to Solomon's temple. He is God's presence on earth. He is brought out of Egypt as a new Israel.

The first block of Jesus' ministry involved preparation, demonstrations, and teaching. After being baptised and affirmed by God, Jesus resisted temptation in the desert for forty days. He chose his first disciples, declared the kingdom of God, healed the sick, cast out demons, and explained the kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, similar to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Jesus began with the Beatitudes, emphasising inward heart attitudes over outward behaviour. He taught genuine faith, prioritising God's kingdom over power, money, or self-reliance. He advised self-reflection before judging others, treating others as one wishes to be treated, and judging by actions, while assessing ourselves by our relationship with God.

Then came the second block of Jesus' ministry, the kingdom of heaven, applied to people's lives. We read a total of ten miracles, mostly focused on people who were outcasts and those far from God. The kingdom of heaven brought them healing and freedom. The teaching of this second block then focused around how the disciples would bring the kingdom of heaven to others. The cost would be high. They would be persecuted and reviled. But if they trusted in God, he would give them the authority they need.

The third block of Jesus' ministry focused on responses to him. John the Baptist doubted if Jesus was the Messiah. The Pharisees challenged Jesus, even after witnessing his miracles. Jesus couldn't perform miracles in his hometown due to their unbelief. During this phase, Jesus taught in parables, which are intentionally cryptic. Parables compel those interested in God to seek answers, while deterring the disinterested, naturally filtering out those who wouldn't follow Jesus even if they understood.

The fourth block of Jesus' ministry revealed his identity and subverted expectations. He fed 5,000 people, walked on water to show his divinity, and healed and fed 4,000 Gentiles, demonstrating his mission for all people. Jesus accused the Pharisees of prioritising tradition over God's law. Peter recognised Jesus as the Messiah, but Jesus clarified he was also the Suffering Servant. On a mountain, Jesus met Moses and Elijah, and God affirmed Jesus as his son.

In his teachings, Jesus reinforced the upside-down nature of the kingdom of heaven, emphasising humility, removing temptation, and including others. Offenses should be addressed with love and forgiveness, and one cannot pursue both wealth and God. Greatness in the kingdom of heaven comes from serving others, not seeking power.

The fifth and final block of Jesus' ministry focused on clashing with the religious leaders' authority. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, subverting royal norms, yet was celebrated as a king. At the temple, he expelled moneylenders, asserting his authority and preparing space for God. The next morning, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree, symbolising Israel's failure.

The Pharisees challenged Jesus' authority, but he skilfully avoided their questions and countered with parables, accusing them of being all talk and no action. He declared they had rejected the kingdom of heaven and would be replaced. The leaders tried to trap Jesus with questions about taxes, the resurrection, and the greatest commandment, but he answered easily.

Matthew 23-24

Turning to the crowds, Jesus starts his final block of teaching. He warns them against the religious leaders. They represent Moses and the law, so they are to be respected. But they don't practice what they preach. It's one rule for them and one rule for everyone else. All they care about is their own position and reputation. His followers should instead be humble and aim to serve others, not build themselves up.

Jesus then gives seven 'woes'. Seven reasons why the religious leaders are failing at their job. They make it harder for people to come close to the kingdom of heaven. They consider the offerings to the temple more important than the temple itself. These religious leaders are obsessed with all the little details of the law but missing the heart behind the law. Things like justice and mercy. They are obsessed with their outer image, but don't do anything about the greed and wickedness in their hearts.

Perhaps most laughably, the religious leaders tut at their ancestors for rejecting the prophets when they came, but now they do the very same thing. The biggest failing of the religious leaders is their hypocrisy. Jesus then mourns for Jerusalem. His desire is to gather up the people and care for them like a hen looks after her young. But they don't want to listen.

And so Jesus goes on to tell his disciples about the disaster that is to come. When they point to the temple, he tells them that it is going to be completely destroyed. For the disciples, this was a clear sign of end times judgement, and so they ask Jesus when this will be and what signs can they use to help prepare them for it.

In the prophets, we saw many examples of judgement and suffering coming before God established his new kingdom. Jesus draws on these, referring to all these suffering to come as 'birth pains' (Matthew 24:8).

God's people will be tested; through persecution, suffering, false prophets, and more. But those that endure will be saved, and the ending will come when all the earth has heard the good news of the kingdom.

Jesus then draws on the imagery of an abomination from Daniel. This abomination will occur in the 'holy place'. We note here that Matthew writes as an aside, "let the reader understand” (Matthew 24:15). This is because nearly forty years after Jesus has said this, in 70 CE, the Romans would enter the temple, desecrate it and then raze it to the ground.

As we mentioned before, while there’s some debate when Matthew was written, it was likely between 75-90 CE. What Jesus is saying is cryptic. But the readers would immediately know what he was talking about as they remembered how the temple was desolated and destroyed.

What's cool is that Jesus warns his disciples to flee to the mountains when they see this start to happen, and when the Romans marched on Jerusalem in 70 CE, many Christians saw what was happening and fled to the region of Pella, across the Jordan River in the Decapolis.

But as is often the case with prophecy, it tends to have an immediate answer and a future answer. While Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple, it is clear he's also talking about a much more future event.

There will be suffering like there never has been before, and there will be false people performing great miracles to get people to follow them. But his disciples are not to get caught up by these people. When all this is done, the Son of Man, Jesus, will return in such a way that no one can doubt or miss it.

So as we see these signs and this suffering around us, it should inspire us to further pursue the kingdom of heaven. Because there is no way of knowing exactly when the suffering will end and Jesus will return.

Jesus them mentions that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). This phrase has caused much confusion for readers over the years. Some have read it as evidence Jesus was saying he would return within that same generation's lifetime and therefore was wrong. Others try to argue that it was metaphorical.

But when you look at how Matthew has used the word generation (genea in the Greek) elsewhere, it becomes clearer what he is talking about. Outside of the genealogy of Matthew 1, every time Matthew uses the word generation, it is to refer to those who are unbelieving or wicked see Matthew 11:16; 12:39; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36).

In short, Jesus is explaining that there will continue to be those who don’t believe and those who do wicked until all that he’s mentioned has happened. But once all this has happened and Jesus returns, all will believe and all wickedness will end.

As for these events, they will catch people by surprise, just like the flood caught everyone by surprise, except from Noah and his family. So continue to be faithful in all you do, and all the more as you see suffering around you. There is nothing worse than a servant who lays around drinking because he thinks his master won't be back for a while. Don’t be like that.

Psalm 98

This psalm is not attributed to anyone, and falls into the category of praise psalm. Is part of a small collection of psalm (Psalm 93-99) that focus on God as king.

Psalm 98:1-3 - Sing the Lord a new song of his great works

Psalm 98:4-6 - Make music all the earth before the king

Psalm 98:7-9 - Let creation submit before its kings

The psalmist starts with a call to sing of God’s great works. He is a God of salvation and righteousness for all to see. He has been faithful and loving to the people of Israel, but all the people of the earth may experience his salvation.

The psalmist then encourages all the earth to make music and sing before their king. The language suggests a time of festival and celebration with musical instruments and singing.

Finally, the psalmist turns to creation itself. May the seas, rivers, and hill all roar, clap and sing. Why? Because the Lord is coming to lead the world. The psalm uses the term ‘judge’, much like Israel’s judges led them. He will lead with righteousness.

Like many of the psalms in this section, this psalm focus on the praise God deserves as king over all the earth. All peoples and all creation should sing and make joyful sounds because of his power and salvation.