Matthew: Part 2
More Miracles
Continuing on with the second part of the gospel of Matthew, we will find many more parables and miracles being performed by Jesus in order to teach His followers and show the lost that He is indeed the Christ. All of this is a build-up to the day when Christ finally gives up His life as a final sacrifice for sin and He raises three days later. As Got Questions tells us, “The Lord Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism.” These parables that Jesus used were not just meant to grab the attention of the listener and reader, they were used to break down big principles that many people just simply wouldn’t understand if explained straightforwardly. Jesus not only showed that He was a good teacher by telling these parables, but He also revealed that He practiced what He preached by fulfilling the point and practice in His own life to perfection. As we conclude the book of Matthew today, we will see many parables that Jesus teaches the crowds around Him. Yet, it is not just the parables that we will notice, but the miracles that Jesus partakes in as well. Jesus is not just a good teacher, He is God Himself. And this is proven when He performs miracles to confirm His deity and oneness with God. The combination of teaching and miracle-working shows us that Jesus isn’t just a prophet or a priest, but much more. He is indeed the promised Messiah who has come to make a way to salvation with God forever. With this in mind, let’s dive in.
The Transfiguration
When looking at chapters 15-28, it is difficult to bypass one of the biggest miracles that left Peter, James, and John in awe. This miracle is The Transfiguration. During this miracle, Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up a mountain where He suddenly begins to glow and is surrounded by Moses and Elijah. Matthew 17:5-7 tells us, “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” This is a miraculous occurrence that is significant for multiple reasons. First off, this was a miracle that took place with multiple witnesses. It would be one thing if just one person saw it and claimed that it was real, but the fact that multiple men were there during this time and that this story is recorded by more than one man just goes to show how amazing this moment was. Furthermore, we see Moese and Elijah around Jesus when all of this takes place which is huge. Why these two you ask? Remember, who is the main audience that Matthew is trying to reach here? The Jews. There are few people in the Old Testament that Jews uphold more than Moses and Elijah. So to see these two come down from heaven and show that Jesus is even greater than they are speaks volumes to those who still questioned Jesus’ authority. Top all of this off with the voice of the Father Himself coming from heaven to verify Jesus’ identity, and you have an experience that simply cannot be ignored. This miracle was witnessed by more than one man, involved two great OT men, and was sealed with God’s approval of His Son. If this experience can’t change a Jew’s mind, I don’t know what will.
The Ruler & Crucifixon
On top of all of these miracles, we see many parables that are taught by Jesus in this gospel as well. Before I mention any, I want to say that I would encourage you to read through these parables on your own time as well. The principles in each of these parables are powerful and give us a great understanding of how we are to live as Christ followers. The teaching that I want to focus on here, however, isn’t really even considered a parable because this story isn’t made up. This situation that I am about to tell you of really occurred to Jesus in Matthew 19. This is the story of the rich young ruler who asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus responds by questioning the man why he is asking Him what good thing to do when no one is good themselves. The man then tells Jesus that he is a good man because he has kept all of the commandments. Jesus’ response here is very interesting becasue He doesn’t tell the man he’s wrong, He simply shows the man he’s wrong by telling him to sell all that he has and follow Him. The man walks away ashamed because he loved his possessions and was a very wealthy man. Then look at what Jesus says about this whole situation. Matthew 19:23-26 says “And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jesus proves that this man has indeed not followed all the commandments since birth by revealing that there was still something that he cared about more than God Himself. Then when the disciples asked who could be saved, Jesus told us all what we must know. On our own, it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. We must know that no one can achieve salvation on their own. We are all fallen and sinful and need a savior. This is where the end of Matthew’s gospel comes into play. Jesus is handed over by Pilot to be crucified for the sins of His followers and here we see one last powerful sign that shows Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew 27:50-51 says, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.” The beauty of this sign is the symbolism it reveals from an OT perspective. In God’s temple in the OT, we see the holy of holy places separated from the rest of the temple by a veil. Then when Jesus is crucified, we see this veil torn. This symbolizes that we are no longer separated from God because of our sin but Christ has now paid that price so that we may dwell with God once again. I hope and pray that as you conclude your study of this gospel, you will be convinced that Jesus is indeed the fulfillment of the OT prophecies and the coming Messiah that we all need.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] GotQuestions.org. (2022, January 4). GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-parables.html
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