Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00011A
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00:20 Hi and welcome
00:21 to the Books of the Book series here on 3ABN. 00:24 We're exploring the Gospel of Matthew. 00:26 Let's meet our Teacher and Guest, 00:29 Dr. Ranko Stefanovic, professor of New Testament 00:31 at Andrews University Theological Seminary. 00:34 Ranko, it's so good, as I call again a friend, 00:36 to have you with us here. 00:38 It's been a joy exploring the Gospel so far. 00:40 I can't wait to hear more of what's ahead. 00:42 Yes, Glenn. It's a great joy to me, 00:46 to be with you here at this program. 00:49 We have known each other for how long, 00:51 for more than 20 or 22 years. 00:53 You were actually teacher of my own children 00:56 when you were there at Andrew's Academy 00:58 and then you were my colleague 00:59 in the department of Religion 01:01 at Andrews University for about nine years. 01:05 And Glenn, I have come really to appreciate you. 01:09 You have a great passion for ministry. 01:12 Actually I wanted to inform our viewers that Glenn, 01:16 every year organizes a group of students 01:18 going to different parts of the world to do mission, 01:21 the mission of work. 01:22 He has a great pastoral heart and young people, 01:25 they really love him 01:26 and I know about great impact that you've made 01:29 on the lives of my own children, 01:31 probably your contribution is great for them, 01:33 that they are today in the church. 01:34 Thank you, Glenn, very much. 01:35 Thank you. It's always a joy to do ministry together. 01:38 And I can't wait to get into the scripture here. 01:40 Ranko, lead us in pray 01:42 that we may have God's guidance as we study. 01:45 "Our Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us 01:50 this wonderful Gospel written by disciple by name, Matthew. 01:58 Father, we are learning here about unique picture 02:01 of Jesus Christ and we want that Jesus who was then, 02:05 become our own savior now and today. 02:09 So please speak to us and give us the thoughts 02:13 that the Holy Spirit can impact 02:15 in understanding the life of Jesus Christ 02:18 and to understand how great savior He is to us today. 02:21 We pray all of this in His precious name, Amen." 02:25 Amen. Ranko, it's been a wonderful journey 02:28 so far in the Gospel of Matthew. 02:29 I'm looking forward to what God has for us this time. 02:32 Where are we in the story of Jesus? 02:36 You know, as we move through the Gospel of Matthew, 02:42 as he is portraying Jesus and His ministry of earth, 02:46 there is one thing that we have to keep in mind 02:50 that which is going on there with Jesus 02:52 and His ministry was a part of the great controversy. 02:56 Yes. That even started there in heaven 03:00 between God and Satan. 03:02 And Satan, he knew 03:05 that Jesus would one day come to this earth, 03:08 to his kingdom there, 03:10 he was waiting for that opportunity. 03:12 So we have everyday of Jesus ministry, 03:15 can I say even every minute of Jesus ministry, 03:18 was just under a scrutiny of Satan 03:22 and watch to prevent the Jesus ministry. 03:25 You know why Jesus came, to die? 03:28 To save his people from their sin. 03:30 And Satan was making a constant effort 03:33 how to prevent that ministry of Jesus 03:37 and the redemption that He wanted 03:38 to provide for human beings. 03:40 It is with that thought 03:41 that we are coming here to Chapter 14. 03:43 Doesn't that make His victory and sinlessness 03:46 so much more wonderful? Yes. 03:48 Because he's under such attack. 03:50 That attack is not only directly towards him, 03:52 it's directed towards others. 03:54 See, Glenn, first what Satan did, 03:58 he turned to Jewish leaders. That is why 04:01 Jewish nations are against Jesus. 04:04 When we go further on, 04:06 he tried even to use Jesus own family, 04:09 his brothers against Jesus. 04:11 He did everything, everything to prevent Jesus 04:13 and His ministry. 04:15 Now there is a very sad event that took place, 04:21 that really marks somehow a turning around 04:24 a point in Jesus ministry 04:26 and what was going on from this time on, 04:29 it's the death of John the Baptist. 04:32 So please I would really like to ask you, 04:34 if you can read Chapter 14, verses 1:12. 04:38 And we should remember that John the Baptist, 04:40 was one that had introduced Jesus. Introduced Jesus. 04:44 And prepared the way and is a relative. 04:47 "At that time Herod the Tetrarch heard 04:49 the reports about Jesus and said to his servants, 04:52 'This is John the Baptist, he has risen from the dead, 04:55 and therefore these powers are at work in him.' 04:58 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, 05:01 and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, 05:03 his brother Philip's wife because John had said to him, 05:06 It is not lawful for you to have her. 05:09 And although he wanted to put him to death, 05:10 he feared the multitude, 05:12 because they counted him as a prophet. 05:15 But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, 05:17 the daughter of Herodias 05:19 danced before them and pleased Herod. 05:22 Therefore he promised with an oath 05:24 to give her whatever she might ask. 05:27 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, 05:31 'give me John the Baptist's head on a platter.' 05:34 And the king was sorry, 05:35 Nevertheless because of the oath's 05:38 and because of those who sat with him, 05:40 he commanded it to be given to her. 05:42 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison, 05:45 and his head was brought on a platter 05:47 and given to the girl 05:49 and she brought it to her mother. 05:51 Then his disciples came and carried away the body 05:54 and buried it and they went and told Jesus." 05:57 What a terrible brutal tragedy! 06:00 Actually, the event that is portrayed here 06:04 is not only in the Gospels, 06:06 we know that the Jewish historian, Josephus, 06:09 actually he noticed this event. 06:11 When John the Baptist was beheaded, 06:14 actually the news spread throughout Galilee and Judea. 06:18 This was a very significant, significant event. 06:22 Herod, that is mentioned here, was Herod Agrippa, 06:27 Antipas, the son of Herod the great, 06:32 that notorious ruler that tried to kill Jesus, 06:35 you know by killing those children there in Bethlehem. 06:39 But evidently the Herod here 06:40 was nothing better than his father. 06:43 According to Josephus, 06:45 he was so much afraid of John the Baptist 06:47 because people were holding him as a prophet. 06:50 He was afraid for his throne 06:52 and evidently he tried to find any excuse 06:54 to kill the John the Baptist 06:56 and he took that opportunity and he killed John. 07:00 We see something of Jesus, 07:03 you referred a couple of lessons ago 07:04 about Jesus compassion. 07:06 How does He respond to this sad news? 07:11 Actually, there is one phrase to tell us everything in, 07:15 in verse 13, the first phrase. 07:19 "When Jesus heard of it, he departed from there." 07:22 Where did he go? 07:23 "By boat to a deserted place by Himself." 07:27 Far away from everybody. 07:29 Evidently, in the death of John the Baptist, 07:33 Jesus saw a precursor of His own death. 07:39 Jesus saw that His ministry very, 07:42 very soon will come to its end. 07:44 By the way, from this point on, 07:46 very short time passed until the time of Jesus death. 07:50 Even though, I think the viewers 07:53 should not be confused with the fact 07:54 that we have how many more than 10 Chapters, 07:56 14 Chapters up to that point is. 07:58 This is not the time indication here, 08:00 we just start talking about short time 08:02 from this point on until Jesus was-- 08:04 Few months. And Jesus was very much 08:07 concerned about his own ministry and what will happen 08:10 and can you imagine, we are dealing here 08:12 with a human nature of Christ, 08:15 concern that He had, 08:16 He rendered to the secluded place there, 08:19 where nobody was there to contemplate 08:21 about the future of his ministry 08:23 and what will happen to Him in the last day 08:25 of His ministry when He has to die on the cross. 08:27 And we could pause and be very aware 08:29 that we may need to do the same thing 08:31 when bad news comes when we hear of sorrows. 08:35 We just need to come away sometime. 08:37 Just yesterday, I got news 08:38 that a friend of mine had passed away 08:40 half way around the world, 08:42 I need to spend just a little time with God, 08:44 there's sometimes when we just got to tell Jesus 08:46 because no one else understands. 08:48 Jesus Himself went 08:50 to His Father to be alone with Him. 08:52 But Glenn, Jesus went to the seclude place 08:57 but there is something very interesting that I notice. 09:01 What do we have in the rest of verse 13? 09:04 Was he, was he alone there? 09:06 "But when the multitude heard it, 09:08 they followed Him on foot from the cities. 09:10 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude, 09:13 He was moved with compassion." 09:15 Even his grieving is interrupted. 09:17 So can you imagine, did Jesus say 09:19 please leave Me alone, 09:22 you know, I need to be by Myself, 09:25 I have issues and problems. 09:27 Can you imagine? 09:28 What is the expression for compassion, 09:32 His inner organs were moved. 09:36 So that the worry and care about Himself 09:39 disappear from Jesus because the needs of the people 09:43 were much more important 09:45 than His own situation in which He was. 09:47 Boy I learned something from this. 09:49 What a heart of love. 09:50 So many times we, as Christians, 09:53 we are so much concerned about ourselves, 09:56 we are concerned about our own situations, 09:59 about own problem and we find it as excuse 10:02 why we do not, you know, 10:04 carry the witness about Christ to others as 10:08 after learning about Jesus Christ, 10:09 is the needs of others are much important 10:12 than our own needs 10:14 and when we show compassion toward others, 10:17 it effects our inner spiritual life here. 10:20 But there is something else, 10:21 I'm sorry for interrupting you. 10:22 No, no, please. 10:24 Not only that Jesus was not alone 10:25 with reference with the people, 10:27 keep in mind, you can go to the secluded place 10:30 and if you think, you are alone 10:32 but you are not alone, who is there? 10:34 Is the devil. The devil--the devil never, 10:39 never left Jesus by ourselves. 10:41 So what happened, people were hungry there, 10:45 Jesus showed compassion 10:46 and we know that he fed 5,000 people 10:49 with few loafs of bread and fish. 10:53 Okay. The Christians usually are familiar with this story 10:58 but then comes verse 22. 11:01 What do we have in verse 22? 11:02 "Immediately Jesus made His disciple 11:04 get into the boat 11:05 and go before Him to the other side, 11:07 while he sent the multitudes away." That's surprise. 11:10 He's just had this incredible meal, 11:12 tremendous response, 11:13 what a response that people must have had! 11:16 Okay, Glenn, if people are hungry 11:20 and I feed them, 11:22 isn't that not an opportunity to open the word of God 11:26 and to teach those people 11:27 and now because they see a miracle 11:29 that's so receptive, why suddenly, 11:32 actually Matthew different then Mark, 11:36 hardly uses the word 'immediately'. Mm-hmm. 11:40 When he uses the word immediately, it's immediately, 11:43 there is something that happened, 11:46 that prompted Jesus to tell His disciples 11:48 go there to the boat, 11:49 let swim the other side of lake, 11:50 leading people, why? 11:54 There was something to do with the response of the people. 11:57 The people. And then we have 11:59 through the Gospel of John Chapter 6 12:00 to find explanation, 12:02 Matthew does not talk, talk about that. 12:04 And when we read the Gospel of Matthew, 12:06 when people saw the miracle that Jesus did, 12:09 they said, this is the kind of a king that we need, 12:14 we will not work, we will arrest 12:16 and He will provide food, food for us. 12:19 Let us make Him the king 12:21 and all our economic problems will be solved. 12:25 Actually it is at that moment that Jesus recognized 12:29 the effort of Satan to prevent Him 12:32 to go to the cross 12:35 and to accomplish His mission in an easy way. 12:38 Do you remember? Very similar 12:39 to what he tried to do with Jesus 12:41 with those first three temptations. 12:44 And you see, Jesus need not succumb 12:46 to that popular demand, 12:48 Jesus recognized here an effort of Satan 12:51 to prevent Him to go to the cross 12:53 and immediately Jesus departed from that place. 12:57 Actually God always succeed, God is always victor, 13:01 God always, always wins 13:02 and Satan's plan at this moment failed completely. 13:07 They wanted to make Messiah a king 13:09 but they didn't understand. 13:11 Jesus has to redefine their understanding of Messiah 13:14 and to redefine their understanding of the Kingdom. 13:17 Because imagine, if they could have a leader 13:19 who would feed them and clothe them 13:21 and raise them from, do all these things, 13:23 they could overcome any army, 13:24 they could finally have their national state again. 13:27 But you know, Jesus went to another place, 13:31 then people come there to visit Jesus. 13:34 Again Jesus shows the compassion. 13:36 Jesus is always there to help people. 13:38 Boy, what kind of Jesus Christ 13:41 is present in the Gospel of Matthew. 13:43 Jesus who really cares about the needs of people. 13:46 He does not look at our mistakes that we made. 13:50 Sometimes our ill intensions that we make, 13:54 really Jesus looks deep there in our heart, 13:57 He sees our needs and He cares for us. 14:00 We're gonna learn a lot more 14:01 about the compassion of Jesus 14:02 in just a moment right after a break. 14:04 We'll be right back. |
Revised 2014-12-17