Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00009A
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00:20 Hi and welcome to our the Books of the Book series.
00:25 We're exploring the Gospel of Matthew. 00:28 It's a wonderful journey we've been on so far, 00:29 so glad that you could join us. 00:31 This is gonna be a great time together with our lead teacher, 00:34 Dr. Ranko Stefanovic from Andrews University. 00:36 Ranko, we've been exploring this wonderful book-- 00:40 what have you been feeling 00:42 as you've been getting into this gospel again? 00:44 What's happening in your heart 00:45 as you're studying God's word as we're sharing it together? 00:49 Is God working in your life--? 00:51 Oh, yeah, more and more that appreciation for Jesus 00:56 who He was and who is still today, 00:59 it's really increasing in my life. 01:01 We keep re-meeting ourselves. 01:03 My love for Him-- Wonderful. 01:04 Yeah, it is increasing. 01:05 Let's pray together that God will give us 01:07 the same experience in this program 01:08 as we study together. 01:10 Lord, we ask that you'll open our hearts. 01:12 We have so many distractions, so many burdens, 01:16 and we ask that they can all be set aside. 01:18 May Your spirit come in and give us peace 01:20 that we may focus only upon Jesus. 01:23 In Your name we pray. Amen. Amen. 01:26 Now, Ranko, we've been moving 01:28 through the Gospel of Matthew, 01:30 remind us what we just covered? 01:32 We were talking about the disciples 01:34 being sent out by Jesus. 01:36 Is that relevant? How is that relevant for us today? 01:38 Actually chapters 10, 11 01:40 are transitory in the Gospel of Matthew. 01:43 So far, Jesus was doing preaching, 01:48 teaching, and healing. 01:50 The disciples were just spectators, okay. 01:52 They were, they were watching. 01:54 Now they're the active participants. 01:57 Now Jesus sends them in chapter 10, 01:59 to go and to do the same 02:02 by following to the footsteps of the Messiah. 02:05 There is something interesting is, 02:06 as Jesus sends his disciples in chapter 10, 02:10 there is one point, one detail 02:13 that is very intriguing to biblical-- 02:17 to the Bible students is when you read the same account 02:20 in the Gospel of Luke, the disciples come back. 02:23 They're so happy they share the joy with Jesus. 02:27 But in Gospel of Matthew, the disciples never come back. 02:30 Of course, they came back, 02:31 but Matthew never reports that. Why? 02:35 There is a theological purpose here to tell us 02:38 the disciples are never supposed to come back. 02:40 They're supposed to continue the work of Jesus 02:43 until the very, very end 02:45 when Jesus will come again to take them to himself. 02:48 And they'll continue in this gospel 02:51 to be co-labors with Jesus. 02:52 Now you said until the end, now does that mean 02:55 that He has the same need and purpose today? 02:57 Actually, in very nice book 02:59 I'd like to encourage the viewers 03:01 to take that book and to read. 03:03 It's a fantastic book. I had it. 03:04 It's the "Ministry of Healing." 03:07 They talk us about the ministry of Jesus down to the earth 03:10 and what we're as Christians today we're supposed to do. 03:14 And there is one text, on page 143, I read it, 03:17 it says "The world needs today what it needed 1900 years ago." 03:23 The book was written, we can say 2000 years ago. 03:26 "Christ's method alone will give 03:29 true success in reaching the people. 03:32 Jesus mingled with them, desired their good, 03:36 showed sympathy for them, ministered their needs, 03:40 won their confidence, and bade them, Follow Me." 03:43 And they followed Him. 03:44 So the world needs the same thing. Yeah. 03:46 And how did Jesus do it? What was His method? 03:48 Mingling with people-- Mingling with people-- 03:50 It's important lesson for us, 03:52 because sometimes it's natural for us 03:54 to pull apart away from the sinful world. 03:56 We need to separate sin in our lives, 03:58 but not separate from other people. 04:00 Exactly. Exactly. Okay. 04:02 Now we move into Matthew Chapter 11. 04:05 What's ahead for us? 04:07 Actually, we have a lot to say here. 04:09 Unfortunately, we cannot cover all the text. 04:11 We've the beginning of chapter 11, 04:14 showing us about John Baptist. 04:15 And poor John the Baptist, 04:16 we met him in this gospel back in chapter 3. 04:20 Powerful preacher-- 04:21 Powerful preacher, everyone is responding, 04:23 but that's not where his life is now. 04:25 Yeah. He's in prison. 04:26 Actually, he's there in the prison 04:28 and evidently he is waiting for death. 04:33 To be killed. 04:34 It must've been such a discouraging experience. 04:37 What is John do about this? 04:38 He sends two of his disciples to Jesus 04:40 and they've a question. 04:41 What's the question? 04:43 You know, he's there in the prison. 04:44 Jesus is not reacting 04:46 and then he sends the message to Jesus. 04:49 Keep in mind he was the one to prepare people 04:52 for the coming of the Messiah. 04:53 Now he sends message to Jesus, 04:55 "Are You the one who was supposed to come 04:58 or are we supposed to wait for somebody else?" 05:01 Ranko, it's the same question by the way the reader has 05:04 and that we have, is Jesus the one-- 05:06 Is He the one? Yeah. All right. 05:09 So how does Jesus respond to the question? 05:12 Jesus does not argue. 05:14 Jesus does not try to present 05:17 all the evidences about His Messiah. 05:19 He just told to those messengers, 05:22 "Look around, what do you see around yourself?" 05:25 May I read that Matthew 11:5, 05:28 "The blind see, the lame walk, 05:29 the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, 05:31 the dead are raised up, 05:32 and the poor have the gospel preached to them, 05:35 and blessed is he who is not offended because of me." 05:39 Glenn, I grew up in an atheistic society. 05:43 When people always talk to us 05:45 and asking evidences for existence of God, etc., 05:49 and I learned something from these cases. 05:52 Let's leave the evidence. 05:54 The evidence is that God provide to us. 05:56 We're not able to defend God. 06:00 God provided so many things to defend himself. 06:03 We simply have to point 06:05 the eyes of the people to those evidences. 06:07 And evidently John accepted it and he died in peace. 06:11 Now, Ranko, that's an important point 06:13 because not always does following God 06:17 lead to prosperity and success. 06:20 No. No. John's life is a great lesson for us. 06:23 That some of God's saints are gonna suffer. 06:26 Yeah and I would like to tell something to the viewers. 06:30 To be discouraged in this life, it's human, it's normal, 06:37 and so many times we're discouraged, 06:39 we're oppressed, and our spirit is put down. 06:42 We wonder, you know, if he sin-- 06:44 have sinned against God. 06:45 Just keep in mind 06:47 even one of the greatest prophets in history, 06:49 Jesus called John the Baptist, 06:51 the greatest prophet ever born by woman. 06:55 Actually, he could be discouraged, that's a human. 06:58 But praise God that we have a loving Father in heaven, 07:03 who understands our needs. 07:04 That's why Jesus became flesh. 07:06 He took our human nature in order to understand us. 07:09 That's our hope. That's our hope. 07:11 The compassionate savior gives John what he needs to know 07:15 and that's the evidence of who Jesus is. 07:17 Yes, yes. All right, we see His compassion 07:20 as we go through this 11th chapter, 07:22 especially as we get toward the end of the chapter, Ranko. 07:25 Yes. We come to this quotation that we often hear. 07:29 You know, it's often refer to-- 07:32 Maybe we could read a little bit 07:33 from the end of chapter 11. 07:35 I'll start with verse 25. 07:37 At that time, Jesus answered and said, 07:39 "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 07:41 that you have hidden these things from the wise 07:43 and the prudent and revealed them to babes. 07:45 Even so, Father, for it seemed good in your sight. 07:48 All things have been delivered to me by my Father 07:50 and no one knows the Son except his Father." 07:53 What a wonderful communication 07:55 we see between the two of them. 07:56 "And then nor does anyone know the Father except the Son." 08:00 Great Christological statement there, 08:01 "And the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." 08:04 Now the statement-- 08:06 Can you stop here at this point? All right. 08:09 Actually, this text is the conclusion of this chapter 08:12 and there are many texts that are very similar to that. 08:16 Usually, we do not make connection 08:17 between these two texts. 08:19 I would like-- Please allow me, 08:20 I would like you can read also verse 12 08:22 in connection with this. 08:23 Okay, verse 12. Yes. 08:25 And now--"And from the days of John the Baptist until now, 08:29 the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence 08:32 and the violent take it by force. 08:35 So violent people one day will be in the Kingdom of God. 08:38 See Jesus is using here a metaphor. 08:41 Prior to John the Baptist, 08:44 God's people were confined to one nation. 08:46 You were born in that nation. 08:48 You have to bear witness to those 08:49 who are non-Israelites, who responds. 08:52 But for the time of John the Baptist, 08:54 as the gospel is being preached, 08:56 there's a position. 08:58 It's not easy to be Christian. 09:00 It's not easy to be the follower of Jesus. 09:03 Only people, you see by force 09:05 people who are struggling, who are fighting 09:07 before God for the gospel, 09:09 for the salvation, only those people 09:11 who are really making that great effort, 09:14 the desire of that gospel will hold their heart, 09:16 the gospel is available to them and they deserve it. 09:20 So there is something in this life, 09:23 there is somebody who thrive to prevent us 09:26 from the Gospel of Christ. 09:28 But we've all power given to us by God, 09:31 we've to struggle, we've to fight for that gospel. 09:34 And there's a bit of melancholy sadness 09:37 that is coming through as Jesus is seeing 09:40 the response of the people He is trying to reach. 09:42 And I think everyone who tries to share the gospel 09:45 you sense when people aren't responding, 09:46 it's a sad thing and he describes these, 09:48 "We played the flute for you and you didn't dance. 09:51 We mourned to you, you wouldn't lament." 09:53 Whatever He tries to do, there is a resistance. 09:56 There is a sadness that will increase 09:58 as we move towards the cross, 09:59 as His heart begins to break over His people. 10:02 And then Jesus makes the conclusion is, 10:06 that gospel unfortunately so many times 10:08 is not accepted by the wisest people in this world. 10:11 People who are so much intelligent 10:13 usually they see the gospel as foolishness. 10:16 When we read the writings of Apostle Paul, 10:18 First Corinthians Chapter 1, he says, 10:21 "The wise people they look for wisdom, 10:23 some other people look for science, 10:25 but the cross of Christ is actually the power of God, 10:29 that changes human lives." 10:31 And actually Jesus made very, very clear 10:34 that the gospel is given to those who accepted. 10:36 Not because what they have intelligent that they possess? 10:41 It's really their willingness 10:43 to respond to the gospel message. 10:45 And He gives us wonderful invitation that we see, 10:49 we often hear, Ranko verses 28 and 29 quoted and-- 10:55 And 30. And 30, yes. 10:57 And there is certainly a wonderful comfort here. 11:00 But could you take us a little deeper, 11:02 may I read the text first and then help us 11:05 understand what it means? 11:06 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 11:09 and I will give you rest." 11:10 One of the most beautiful promises in scripture. 11:13 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 11:16 for I'm gentle and lowly in heart, 11:18 and you will find rest for your souls. 11:20 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." 11:23 We should notice a few things, 11:24 there are few words that are keywords here. 11:27 Glenn, can I--I cannot read this text, 11:30 but to--but want to mention something is, 11:32 what was Jesus occupation 11:35 during His first 30 years of His life? 11:38 He's a carpenter. He's a carpenter. 11:40 Carpentry was not what carpenter is today. 11:43 People doing all kind of work, man. 11:45 You know, there were artists making even-- 11:48 making even bridges, building houses, construction. 11:51 But if you are in Galilee, 11:53 they are living among farmers. 11:56 One of part of your business is to make yokes for oxes. 12:01 So evidently, Jesus actually made many yokes. 12:05 So He is using something from His personal experience here 12:09 to address the needs of the people. 12:12 You know, when I was a boy, 12:14 I would go to village visit farmers, etc., 12:17 and I saw when they were trying 12:19 to buy a yoke for their oxes, 12:21 they were looking if yoke was very heavy or light. 12:25 The lighter yoke is more efficient is 12:28 for those oxes to perform the job 12:31 that you want to do, to do with them. 12:33 Actually, there is one scholar, 12:34 they said, can we imagine Jesus there in Nazareth, 12:37 having his shop and selling the yokes 12:40 and in the window of His shop, 12:42 He has--it says, "My yokes are very light." 12:46 And we should remember then that the yoke 12:49 has something to do with labor, 12:51 with effort, with work, but this would resonated 12:54 among the Jewish people. 12:56 What was their understanding of yoke? 12:57 Give us some metaphor, what it is about? 12:59 Actually, what is another word that is here 13:01 related to the word of yoke? 13:03 It's verse 28, I'll give you rest. 13:07 Then let's go to verse 29. 13:10 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 13:13 for I am gentle and humble in heart, 13:15 and you will find yoke and the rest." 13:19 If we go to the Bible, the word the rest 13:21 is always related to something 13:23 and for the first time that word is used 13:25 in Genesis Chapter 2. 13:28 In order to understanding meaning of this word, yoke, 13:31 we really have first to go 13:33 to the Jewish mindset of the time. 13:36 The Jewish writings indicates 13:38 that the Jews of the time of Jesus, 13:40 they use the word yoke 13:43 for the perseverance of the law of God. 13:45 When you observe the law of God, 13:47 you put your head into the yoke 13:49 of the Torah to perform 13:52 and to do all those things there in the Torah. 13:55 By the way, this concept is used 13:59 in the New Testament to explain the forsake 14:02 concept of the observance of the law and very soon, 14:06 we will come to that concept to explain-- 14:08 So you're saying that we've an instrument here, 14:11 there was a metaphor 14:12 for the Jewish understanding how to live? 14:14 How to observe--As the follower of God, 14:16 I should put myself into the yoke of keeping the law. 14:20 Of keeping the law. Well, is the law can be burned? 14:22 Is it troublesome and so forth? 14:24 Yes. We'll come to that in a few moments. 14:27 All right. We're gonna take a break right now. 14:29 I want to hear a little bit more about that yoke. 14:31 I'm sure you do too. 14:32 We'll be right back after a break. |
Revised 2014-12-17