Culver Community Church
Pastor Chris Sweeney
Sermon Notes
June 24, 2018
Matthew 16:1 – 12 Signs, Bread and Misleading Yeast
Jesus and the disciples got in a boat to return to the western shore “After Jesus had sent the crowd away, He got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan” (Matthew 15:39). As soon as He gets out of the boat, He's back in Jewish territory. As soon as He gets there, as soon as He steps on shore, He is immediately hit by His enemies.
{vs. 1} If this doesn’t stand out in your mind it should! This would be like my telling you that both the Democrats and Republicans banded together to accomplish something! In our day of divided politics that is very unlikely to happen and in Jesus’ day these two groups where hardened enemies! The Pharisees represented the religious conservatives – they believed all of the Old Testament scriptures and added the rabbis’ writings for good measure! Remember we described them as the legalists who ran around putting up extra fences around the Law so no one could get close enough to break the actual law – unfortunately, they began to value man’s laws far more than God’s Word. The Sadducees were quite the opposite – the religious liberals, taking away from God’s Word, only believing the first five books of the Bible were inspired. They discounted all of the prophets and did not believe in anything spiritual (angels, demons, resurrection etc.). They thought that this life is all that there is. There was no room for God and that, is why they were ‘Sad U See”! There were not two more diametrically opposed groups, but in Jesus, they found a common enemy!
Planning a way to test Him, they lied in wait for Him and upon His return, immediately ask for a sign (miracle or wonder by which God authenticates the men sent by Him, or by which men prove that the cause they are pleading is truly God's). However, not just any old sign will do! The Pharisees have been following Jesus – they have seen all that He has been doing (the feeding the multitudes, raising the dead, healing the sick and even giving out new appendages to those without them). None of these things (which was more than enough to convince the gentiles (they worshipped the God of Israel!) was enough for them, so they went back to Jerusalem and enlisted the Sadducees help. The blind leading the blind! Jesus had come to bring light, but they would not receive and so they found others, even more blind than themselves to help them! Signs and miracles will not convince the unwilling! The special kind of sign that they asked for was a sign in the heavens. The rabbis taught that false prophets and demons could do works or false signs here on Earth – but they believed that only God had power over the heavens (1st - skies, 2nd – space and 3rd – God’s abode). They wanted Jesus to call down fire from Heaven, like Elijah. They, like the Gentiles knew that Jesus did all things well (perfectly) here among us, but they hoped (against Jesus) that only God, Himself could do such a sign from above. What they did not know and would not even consider was that this Jesus was, is and ever-will-be their Messiah, the Son of God, God in flesh! They did not come looking for proof, on the contrary they came to disprove and discredit the one doing so much good among them!
{vs. 2-3} Jesus points out their skill at reading the signs of the physical world and in turn criticizes them (the religious experts) for not having any skill with seeing spiritual signs! They knew the scriptures; they should have been able to see that the things predicted, that Jesus reminded John the Baptist of (healing of blind, deaf and lame and the dead raised, etc.) were happening right in front of their eyes! What we need to understand is that the basic human condition is to be spiritually dead, unaware or blind – that is because we are born into sin, separated from God. Even though they had been told exactly what to look for, they could not (would not) see it because they loved the darkness instead of the light!
You may know our own version of this proverb or old wives tale - “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s take warning”. This is a prognostication technique used by observant peoples throughout the history of the world. We know that it works a high percentage of the time because the color indicates where moisture, dust and high pressure are relative to the day – either before us in the morning (heading towards us) or already past us (heading away).
{vs. 4} Jesus refuses to give them their sign (to be a performer for them) because of their evil intent! Know this – Jesus never turns away an honest seeker! When we are having trouble with our faith, He will give us the Word, the experiences and the signs to build our faith, but none of these things will do anything for a rejecter of God. John the Baptist got weak in faith, doubting himself and God while in prison and Jesus answered his question – bolstering his faith. Philip was miraculously sent to the foreigner (Ethiopian) to explain what he could never understand on his own. Saul on the road to Damascus was confused (trying to serve God with all his might, but not knowing who God is) and Jesus miraculously turned his life around. In both the Old Testament and New, God promises that those who seek Him will find (especially those who seek with all their heart!). The only way to seek God is with an honest heart through faith – with that cry in the dark, God will reveal Himself to us (He has been right there with us all the time, we just could not recognize it). This is why Jesus came, to be the perfect revelation of God (the Light) - - - for those who will receive!
At this Jesus, comments and walks away. Jesus does not try to argue them into the Kingdom or put on a magic show to astound them – they have made up their own minds and Jesus will not ‘convince’ us against our own wills. So, they will have no other signs (beyond the ones they were already ignoring!), not until the sign of Jonah is accomplished. Jesus does not explain what this sign is for them here, but we remember that He did in chapter 12 when the Pharisees and scribes asked for a sign. Interestingly, they will see that sign of Jonah – they were even participants in the events of the betrayal, crucifixion and burial of Jesus. On that first Resurrection Sunday morn, the guards that they requested came to them and gave them all the evidence of the resurrection. What was their response? More unbelief! They paid these men (probably from the temple treasury) to lie and cover up the truth (Matthew 28)! Just as Abraham said to the rich man in Jesus’ story about a Rich Man and Lazarus “'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' ”. This sign is the ultimate, quintessential sign – the one verification that God has approved of Jesus. Which goes to show you, no matter what the sign – those who will not believe, will not believe!
{vs. 5-7} Mark’s gospel (chapter 8) tells us that as Jesus left them, He got right back into the boat, to once again cross the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps it was because of the short stay or because they seem to have made a hasty departure but for whatever reason, the disciples forgot to get new provisions. All that remained with them was one ‘loaf’ they had leftover in the boat. However, Jesus is focused on teaching the men based on what has just happened. He tells them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mark’s gospel says Pharisees and Herod) – speaking about who they are and what their pervasive influence is on those around them. However, the disciples are still stuck looking for actual physical bread! They are thinking not about spiritual things and immediately jump to “Jesus is mad that we didn’t buy and bring bread!”
{vs. 8 - 12} The first lesson was a simple warning against the unbelieving leaders of the Jews (and the would-be king, Herod). The bottom line is that these men were against Jesus, and had no faith or would not believe (no matter what signs were given them). This lack of faith caused them to twist the truth. The Pharisees as we have seen, in one way, by adding to the Law and the Sadducees in the opposite way, by reducing, rationalizing away and compromising the Word. By Mark’s addition of Herod, we see a third perversion – hypocrisy (they were all hypocrites) but Herod exemplified this. Remember, he was the one pretending to be a Jew, although he was an Idumean; he was the one pretending to keep the law, to be kosher – while killing his wives and sons! Each of these three, would like yeast work into and spoil the whole!
The second lesson was to focus on what is important, the things of the spirit – not the physical. Jesus, calls them out for their lack of faith (little faith). How could they be so worried about what to fill their stomachs with when they were with Jesus? They had just seen Him feed the five thousand and the four thousand (men, not counting women and children). When we’re with Jesus, we need not worry about the basic needs of life – God has promised to supply all our needs (Matthew 6:8, 7:7; Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:32 to name a few)!
Don’t think, that this is so far removed that it doesn’t affect us! This is not just a nice story! Signs are not important – it is not by sight (seeing signs) but by faith! God confirms the Truth to believers through faith. The things of this physical existence (like bread) are temporary and unimportant – we must train to keep our eyes on what is spiritual! If we are seeking first the Kingdom of God, all those other things will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33)! So many times, when the cupboards (or checkbooks) are bare, it is about anything but food or money! Ask God and He will give you wisdom to understand by His Spirit. Lastly, beware of Yeast – what is influencing you? Many things and people are vying for our time and attention (TV, Internet, Music, Books, coworkers, neighbors etc.). There are still Pharisees, Sadducees and Herods among us today.
· Pharisees who will hold to some minute detail of the law while killing the grace and mercy of God – persecuting those who want to follow Jesus, just as they did our Master. Whole cults are centered around this type of twisting or stretching of God’s law.
· Sadducees, who throw out the parts of God’s Word and gospel – whatever they don’t like they ignore or reason away (misleading others in their footsteps!) Culture (TV etc.) constantly tells us things like “Do you really believe that?” or “That’s not really what God meant”. We must hold to the entire Word of God as given, not adding, twisting or removing.
· Herods, those who try to look good on the outside but are full of compromise and rot! They use God and His Word for their own benefit and all the while are children of the enemy. Some are so deluded they believe their own lies, happily living among the Body of Christ – but they are not His! Be real, be full of integrity and honestly seek God.