Hebraic Study of the Synoptic Gospels Volume 2

Title Page

This commentary is a study of the Hebraic background of the Synoptic Gospels, plus the Gospel of John. The text used for this study is the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, along with the Hebrew Bible Known as the Tanakh. The Mishnah that was used was written by Mr. Philip Blackman.

Compilation, writing, and a lot of the research was done by:

Rev. Bob Doty
Kol Emeth Ministries
81 1st Ave. SW
Taylorsville, NC 28681
828/302-7873

The main job f editing this material and giving extremely valuable advice on the accuracy of the work was furnished by:

Dr. Roy Blizzard
Bible Scholars, Inc.
P.O. 204073
Austin, TX 78720-4073

Other editing help and valuable advice was given by:

Dr. Ron Moseley
American Institute For Advance Biblical Studies
3905 North Hills Blvd.
North Little Rock, AR 72116

Analytical Outline of the Harmony -- Volume No., 2

055 Healing the Centurion’s Servant (Mt. 8:5-13; Lk. 7:1-10
056 Yeshua Raises the Widow’s Son at Nain (Lk. 7:11-17)
057 Yochanan haMatbil Sends Messengers to Yeshua (Mt. 11:2-19; Lk. 7:18-35)
058 Yeshua Curses the Cities (Mt. 11:20-30)
059 A Sinful Woman is Forgiven (Lk. 7:36-50)
060 A Second Tour of Galilee – Many Women Minister to Yeshua (Lk. 8:1-3)
061 A House Divided Cannot Stand – The Unpardonable Sin ((Mt. 12:22-37;
Mk. 3:19-30)
062 The Scribes and the Pharisees (Mt. 12:38-45)
063 Yeshua’s Mother and Brothers Seek to Take Him Home (Mt. 12:46-50;
Mk. 3:31-35; Lk. 8:19-21)
064 The First Great Group of Parables (Mt. 13:1-53; Mk. 4:1-34; Lk. 8:4-18)
(a) Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:3-23; Mk. 4:3-25; Lk. 8:-18)
(b) Parable of the Seed (Mk. 4:26-29)
(c) Parable of the Tares (Mt. 13:24-30)
(d) Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:31, 32; Mk. 4:30-32)
(e) Parable of the Leaven (Mt. 13:33-35; Mk. 4:33, 34)
(f) Explanation of the Parables (Mt. 13:36-43)
(g) Parable of the Hid Treasure (Mt. 13:44)
(h) Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Mt. 13:45, 46)
(i) Parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-50)
(j) Parable of the Householder (Mt. 13:51-53)
065 The Wind and the Waves Obey (Mt. 8:18, 23-27; Mk. 4:35-41; Lk. 8:22-25)
066 The Healing of the Gerasene Demoniac (Mt. 8:28-34; Mk. 5:1-20;
Lk. 8:26-39)
067 The Healing of Jairuas’ Daughter and the Woman With the Issue of Blood
(Mt. 9:18:26; Mk. 5:21-43; Lk. 8:40-56)
068 The Healing of the Two Blind Men and the Second Messianic Miracle –
Casting Out a Mute Demon (Mt. 9:27-34)
069 Yeshua Rejected at Nazareth (Mt. 13:54-68; Mk. 6:1-6a)
070 Sending Out the Twelve (Mt. 9:35 - 11:1; Mk. 6:6b-13; Lk. 9:1-6)
071 Yochanan haMatbil is Beheaded (Mt. 14:1-12; Mk. 6:14-29; Lk. 9:7-9)
072 Feeding the Five thousand (Mt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:30-44; Lk. 9:10-17;
Jn. 6:1-14)
073 Preventing the Proclamation of Yeshua as a Political Messiah (Mt. 14:22, 23;
Mk. 6:45, 46; Jn. 6:14, 15)
074 Yeshua Walks on the Sea (Mt. 14:24-33; Mk. 6:47-52; Jn. 6:16-21)
075 The Reception at Gennesaret (Mt. 14:34-36; Mk. 6:53-56)
076 The Bread of Life and the Collapse of the Galilean Campaign (Jn. 6:22-71)
077 Defilement Comes From Within (Mt. 15:1-20; Jn. 7:1)
078 A Woman From Tyre and Sidon Shows Her Faith (Mt. 15:21-28;
Mk. 7:24-30)
079 Yeshua Heals Great Multitudes and Feeds Four Thousand (Mt. 15:29-38;
Mk. 7:31-8:9)
080 A Wicked and Adulterous Generation (Mt. 15:39-16:4; Mk. 8:10-12)
081 The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt. 16:5-12; Mk. 8:13-26)
082 Peter Confesses Yeshua as the Messiah (Mt. 16:13-20; Mk. 8:27-30;
Lk. 9:18-21)
083 The First Prophecy of Yeshua’s Crucifixion (Mt. 16:21-26; Mk. 8:31-37;
Lk. 9:22-25)
084 The Coming of the Son of Man in That Generation (Mt. 16:27, 28; Mk. 8:38-9:1;
Lk. 9:26, 27)
085 The Transfiguration of Yeshua (Mt. 17:1-8; Mk. 9:2-8; Lk. 9:28-36)
086 The Son of Man and Elijah (Mt. 17:9-13; Mk. 9:9-13; Lk. 9:36)
087 Yeshua Casts Out a Demon From a Boy (Mt. 17:14-21; Mk. 9:14-29;
Lk. 9:37-42)
088 The Second Prophecy of Yeshua’s Death and Resurrection (Mt. 17:22, 23
Mk. 9:30-32; Lk. 9:43-45)
089 Peter and His Master Pay Their Taxes (Mt. 17:24-27)
090 Who is the Greatest? (Mt. 18:1-5; Mk. 9:33-37; Lk. 9:46-48)
091 A Stiff Warning and the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Mt. 18:6-14; Mk. 9:38-50;
Lk. 9:49, 50)
092 Dealing With a Sinning Brother and the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
(Mt. 18:15-35)
093 The Cost of Discipleship (Mt. 8:19-22; Lk. 9:57-62)
094 Yeshua’s Brothers Disbelieve (Jn. 7:2-9)
095 A Samaritan Village Rejects the Messiah (Lk. 9:51-56; Jn. 7:10)
096 Yeshua’s Teaching Brings Division (Jn. 7:11-52)
097 The Trap of the Adulterous Woman (Jn. 7:53-8:11)
098 The Light of the World (Jn. 8:12-20)
099 The Truth shall Make You Free and the Great “I Am” (Jn. 8:21-59)
100 The Third Messianic Miracle – Healing a Man Blind Since Birth
(Jn. 9:1-41)
101 The Teaching of the Shepherd (Jn. 10:1-21)
102 The Mission of the Seventy (Lk. 10:1-24)
103 The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37)
104 Mary and Martha Worship and Serve (Lk. 10:38-42)
105 The Disciple’s Prayer (Lk. 11:1-13)
106 Again, a House Divided Cannot Stand (Lk. 11:14-36)
107 Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers (Lk. 11:37-54)
108 A Great Discourse (Lk. 12:1-59)
109 Repent or Perish and the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Lk. 13:1-9)
110 A Woman With a Spirit of Infirmity and the Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Lk. 13:10-21)
111 The Shepherd Knows His Sheep (Jn. 10:22-39)
112 The Believers Beyond the Jordan (Jn. 10:40-42)
113 The Narrow Way (Lk. 13:22-35)
114 Healing a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath and the Parable of the Best Place and the
Great Supper (Lk. 14:1-24)
115 The Greatest Teaching on Discipleship (Lk. 14:25-35)
116 The Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Sons (Lk. 15:1-32)
117 The Parable of the Unjust Steward and the Rich Man and Lazarus
(Lk. 16:1 - 17:10)
118 The Fourth Messianic Miracle – Raising Lazarus From the Dead (Jn. 11:1-44)
119 The Plot to Kill Yeshua (Jn. 11:45-54)
120 Ten Lepers Cleansed and the Coming of the Kingdom (Luke 17:11-37)

The Parables of Yeshua

Parable and Scripture No. Vol. No.
1. Barren fig tree (Lk. 13:6-9) ................................................................. . 2
2. Bread of life (Jn. 6:31-38) ...................................................................... 2
3. Divided kingdom (Mt. 12:24-30; Mk. 3:22-27; Lk. 11:14-23) ............... 2
4. Dragnet (Mt. 13:47-50) ....................................................................... 2
5. Feast invitations (Jn. 14:12-14) ............................................................ 3
6. Fig tree (Mt. 24:32-35; Mk. 13:28-32; Lk. 21:29-33) ......................... 3
7. Friend at midnight (Lk. 11:5-13) .......................................................... 2
8. Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37) ........................................................... 2
9. Good shepherd (Jn. 10:1-18) ................................................................. 2
10. Great physician (Mt. 9:10-13; Mk. 2:15-17; Lk. 5:29-32) ..................... 1
11. Great Supper (Lk. 14:15-24) .............................................................. 2
12. Groom attenders (Mt. 9:14,15; Mk. 2:18-20; Lk. 5:33-35) ................... 1
13. Growing seed (Mk. 4:26-29) .............................................................. 2
14. Hidden treasure (Mt. 13:44) ............................................................... 2
15. Householder (Mt. 13:52) .................................................................... 2
16. King’s war plans (Lk. 14:31-33) ......................................................... 2
17. Laborers in the vineyard (Mat. 20:1-16) ............................................. 3
18. Lowly place (Lk. 14:7-11) ................................................................. 2
19. Leaven (Mt. 13:33; Lk. 13:20, 21) ..................................................... 2
20. Lost coin (Lk. 15:8-10) ........................................................................ 2
21. Lost son (Lk. 15:11-32) ..................................................................... 2
22. Lost sheep (Lk. 15:4-7) ....................................................................... 2
23. Lost sheep (Mt. 18:12-14) ................................................................... 2
24. Mustard seed (Mt. 13:31, 32; Mk. 4:30-32; Lk. 13:18, 19) ................ 2
25. New cloth (Mt. 9:16; Mk. 2:21; Lk. 5:36) .......................................... 1 .
26. New wine (Mt. 9:17; Mk. 2:22; Lk. 5:37-39) ..................................... 1
27. Pearl of great price (Mt. 13:45, 46) ..................................................... 2
28. Pharisees and the tax collector (Lk. 18:9-14) ...................................... 3
29. Revealed light (Mt. 5:14-16; Mk.4:21-23; Lk. 8:16-18) ...................... 1
30. Rich fool (Lk. 12:16-21) ..................................................................... 2
31. Rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:19-31) ................................................. 2
32. Salt without taste (Mt. 5:13; Mk. 9:50; Lk. 14:34,35) ............................ 2
33.. Servant’s duty (Lk. 17:7-10) ................................................................ 2
34. Sheep and goats (Mt. 25:31-46) ............................................................ 3
35. Sign of Jonah (Mt. 12:38-42; Lk. 11:29-32) .......................................... 2
36. Ten Minas (Lk. 19:11-27) ................................................................... 3
37. Ten talents (Mt. 25:14-30) ................................................................... 3
38. The reed and the oak tree ...................................................................... 2
39 Two sons (Mt. 21:28-32) ....................................................................... 3
40. Ten virgins (Mt. 25:1-13) ..................................................................... 3
41. Two debtors (Lk. 7:41-43) ................................................................... 2
42. The Sower (Mt. 13:3-9, 18-23; Mk. 4:3-20; Lk. 8:4-15) ..................... 2
43. Unclean spirit (Mt. 12:43-45; Lk. 11:24-26) ........................................ 2
44. Unjust judge (Lk. 18:1-8) ..................................................................... 3
45. Unjust steward (Lk. 16:1-13) ............................................................... 2
46. Unforgiving servant (Mt. 18:21-35) ....................................................... 2
47. Unprepared builder (Lk. 14:28-30) ......................................................... 2
48. Vine and branches (Jn. 15:1-17) .............................................................. 3
49. Watching servants (Lk. 12:35-40) .......................................................... 2
50. Watch therefore (Mk. 13:33-37) ........................................................... 3
51. Wheat and tares explained (Mt. 13:36-43) ............................................ 2
52. Wedding feast (Mt. 22:1-14) .................................................................. 3
53. Wheat and tares (Mt. 13:24-30) ............................................................. 2
54. Wicked vinedressers (Mt. 21:33-46; Mk. 12:1-12; Lk. 20:9-18) ............. 3
55. Wise builder (Mt. 7:24-27; Lk. 6:47-49) ................................................ 1
56. Wise and evil stewards (Mt. 24:45-51; Lk. 12:42-48) .......................... 3

Segment No. 055 -- Mt. 8:5-13; Lk. 7:1-10

Title: Healing the Centurion's Servant

Mt. 8:5a Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum,
Lk. 7:1 Now when He had concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.

Lk. 7:2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.

Mt. 8:5b A centurion came to Him, pleading with Him.
Lk. 7:3 So when he heard about Yeshua, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.

Here we have the touching story of a Roman centurion who came to Yeshua asking Him to heal his servant. A centurion was a Roman soldier, an officer, who was in charge of a hundred men. Generally, Roman officers were anything but good and kind to the subjugated people. But, this centurion, who was in charge of the town of Capernaum, was different. The difference can be seen in the fact that he has a Jewish servant that he cares for.

There appears to be a conflict here between the Matthew and Luke accounts, but in reality, there is not. Matthew says the centurion came to Yeshua, Luke says the centurion sent the elders and then some friends to Yeshua on his behalf. From the Jewish perspective, this is the same thing. The elders came in the name (power of attorney) of the centurion, which is the Jewish way of thinking was the same as if the centurion had come personally. The Hebrew term for this act is “ketav karsha’ah” (instrument of permission).

Mt. 8:6 Saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
Lk. 7:4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was worthy.
Lk. 7:5 “For he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

Yeshua was a Jew who addressed Himself only to Jews, and even refused to heal Gentiles. He had to be convinced that the centurion was a benefactor of the Jewish people and had even built them a synagogue. The Jewish leaders generally would not seek favors for the Romans but they knew this Roman was different.

Mt. 8:7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
Lk. 7:6a Then Jesus went with them.

Mt. 8:8a The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.”
Lk. 7:6b And when He was already not far from the house the centurion sent friends to him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.”

The centurion knew that Yeshua wanted no contact with Gentiles, and he therefore declared that he was not worthy of Him coming under his roof. Although the New Testament does not provide the reason for his statement, the Roman believed that the Healing Rabbi was not allowed to enter the sick man’s house because of the defilement of the Gentiles. He therefore advised Yeshua to heal from a distance. This is even more a sign of faith than having Yeshua come and lay hands on the servant.

Mt. 8:8b But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”
Lk. 7:7 “Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word and my servant will be healed.”

This statement is so out of character for a Roman soldier that it is almost unbelievable. Romans had an attitude of aloofness towards the subjugated people that is hard to describe. People that they had conquered were considered more like worms or dogs than people. For this centurion to make this statement is an exact 180 degrees from the normal attitude of the Romans towards the Jews.

Mt. 8:9 “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant , ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Lk. 7:8 “For I am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘come,’ and he comes; and to my servant ‘do this,’ and he does it.”

The centurion is making kind of an odd comparison between himself and Yeshua, but it shows that he understands more than you might imagine. He has soldiers directly under him that he gives order to, and yet, he receives his orders from a higher power. He is making that same comparison with Yeshua. Yeshua has His disciples that are directly under Him and obey His instructions, and yet, Yeshua also receives His instructions from a Heavenly Power. Evidently this centurion has been receiving quite a bit of instruction from the Jewish rabbis in Capernaum and he has been listening well. This type of spiritual understanding is just not normal for a pagan soldier.

Mt. 8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”
Lk. 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.”

“Not even in Israel,” a country and people with hundreds of years of experience with God, and yet, a pagan Roman soldier shows them what real faith is. The faith that Yeshua found in the Roman was not someone merely making a profession, but it was faith put into action (genuine faith).

Mt. 8:11 “And I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

According to Pharisaic theology, all of Israel will have a part in the “world to come” (Olam haBah). Righteous Gentiles can also, but it is not automatic. Yeshua tells them that many will come into the Kingdom of Heaven from the Gentiles, and yet, some Jews (sons of the kingdom) will not. The meal mentioned here is known in Jewish theology as the Banquet of the Messiah (Mishneh haMashiach). It is not automatic for the Jews, but the same for everyone. Faith, like that exhibited by the centurion, is the key.

Mt. 8:12 “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Mt. 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
Lk. 7:10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

Segment No. 056 -- Lk. 7:11-17

Title: Yeshua Raises the Widow's Son at Nain

Lk. 7:11 Now it happened, the day after that, that He went to a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.
Lk. 7:12 And when He had come near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crows from the city was with her.

Going to the village of Nain, which is just south of Nazareth, where He grew up, Yeshua meets a funeral procession. A woman, who was a widow, had lost her only son. That means that she had also lost the only person that was supposed to take care of her and sustain her in her old age.

The people are carrying the dead body out of the city. M:Baba Bathra 2:9 says the body had to be buried at least 50 cubits from the city. “Carcasses, sepulchers, and tanneries were to be removed 50 cubits from the city.”

Source: M:Baba Bathra 2:9

Lk. 7:13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Lk. 7:14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
Lk. 7:15 And he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
Lk. 7:16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us;” and “God has visited His people.”

Although this is a great miracle in itself, this miracle has a special significance to the people of this area. Just over the hill from Nain was located the Old Testament town of Zerepath. A great prophet, Elijah, performed a similar miracle there in restoring another widow’s son to life (I Kings 17:17-24). By performing this particular miracle in this particular location, Yeshua was identifying Himself with the Old Testament prophets. The people recognized two things about this happening. By proclaiming Him a great prophet, they recognized the great historical significance of what they saw occur. Also when they proclaimed, “God has visited His people,” they were saying, “Messiah has come.”

Source: I Kings 17:17-24; M:Avoth 2:4

A prophet is not merely someone who speaks in prophecy. In the Bible he is also a miracle worker. What did the term “prophet” mean to the people in the time of Yeshua? Moses is one of the greatest examples of an O.T. prophet. God worked His mighty miracles by signs and wonders to redeem His people by Moses the prophet. This is the model for healing, deliverance, and salvation. As a matter of fact, God told Moses prophetically that He would raise up a “prophet like him” (meaning the Messiah) in Deut. 18:15,18.

Source: Deut. 18:15, 18

Lk. 7:17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Segment No. 057 -- Mt. 11:2-19; Lk. 7:18-35

Title: Yochanan HaMatbil Sends Messengers to Yeshua

Lk. 7:18 The talmidim of Yochanan reported to him concerning all these things.

Mt. 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
Lk. 7:19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

As the ancient Jewish scholars and Rabbis studied the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, they encountered a serious problem: many of the passages seemed to contradict one another. The Messiah is seen as a Conquering King coming in judgment to establish a reign of peace on earth from Jerusalem, as seen in Zechariah 14, Psalms 2, Isaiah 63-65, and Jeremiah 23, for example. Other passages speak of a Suffering Servant who would come in humility, would be despised and rejected by the people, and would died for the sins of man, and then be resurrected by God (Isaiah 40-53; Psalms 22; and Daniel 9). From this paradoxical description of the Messiah came a first century C.E. Rabbinical teaching of two Messiahs.

Sources: Zech.14; Psalm 2; 22; Isaiah 40-53; 63-65; Jere. 23; Daniel 9

Most of the Messianic passages of the Bible, as well as a majority of the Rabbinic commentaries on the Messiah, are centered on the Conquering King. These passages present Him as a dynamic personality who is anointed by God, not only to crush His enemies, but also to regather the dispersed of Israel and usher in her golden age. Diametrically opposed to this, another personality was also identified as the Messiah: lowly, despised, and persecuted. This One, labeled the Suffering Servant by the modern commentators , was anciently known as Messiah ben Yoseph. His life ends, unlike His counterpart, the Messiah ben David (the ancient name for the Conquering King), who was immortal. The Coming One (haBah in Hebrew) that John’s disciples ask about is a reference from Zechariah 9:9. In short, they are asking Yeshua if He is the Messiah.

Source: Zech. 9:9

Mt. 11:3 And said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Lk. 7:20 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?’”

Yochanan’s skepticism concerning the ministry of Yeshua was rooted in Jewish Messianic Expectation. The issue really involved definition and understanding of the Messianic Task. Yochanan haMatbil, as others during the period, anticipated the coming of a Deliverer — but not a gentle one like Yeshua. It was thought that the Anointed One would be more like King David than a Suffering Servant. Hew would break the cruel yoke of foreign oppression that Rome and its puppet rulers had placed on the Jewish people. Yochanan haMatbil probably anticipated a Messianic figure who would bring freedom from the political oppression of Rome. The world had been so corrupted by its political and economic systems that a reform of the people was not enough. A supernatural intervention by God was needed.

This anticipation of two Messiahs by the Jewish people of the first century is the background for the question posed by Yochanan haMatbil to Yeshua as to whether He was the Messiah, or if they were to expect another. The truth is that Yochanan knew that Yeshua was the Messiah, for God had told him so, and he himself had already been used by God to identify Yeshua as the Messiah. The question was specifically whether Yeshua would fulfill all the prophecies concerning the Messiah, or whether the Rabbis who said there would be two Messiahs were correct. Yeshua’s answer is a paraphrase of various passages that the Rabbis identified as referring partially to Messiah ben Joseph and partially to Messiah ben David. In other words, Yeshua was telling Yochanan that He was both Messianic figures rolled into one.

Lk. 7:21 And that very hour He cured many people of their infirmities, afflictions, evil spirits; and to many who were blind He gave sight.

Mt. 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.”
Lk. 7:22a Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:

Mt. 11:5 “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Lk. 7:22b That the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”

There were four major miracles that the Rabbis could not perform that Yeshua used to show His Messiahship. Even today in Israel, both the Jews and the Muslims use the phrase “when Messiah comes He will do that” to answer what no man can. It was this attitude that the first century Jews had toward the four Messianic Miracles that no one else could perform. Note that when Yochanan’s disciples came asking Yeshua, “Are You the Coming One, or should we look for another?” Yeshua responded by performing miracles right before their eyes to demonstrate who He was. Yeshua never came right out and verbally claimed to be the Messiah to the Jewish people. He only did that one time to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. His actions spoke louder than words ever could.

The cleansing of lepers and raising the dead were not general happenings of that day. The Rabbis taught that the spirit hovered over the body for three day before departing, and during this time there was a possibility of raising the dead, although this did not happen very often. After a person had been dead for more than three days, only Messiah could then raise that person from the dead. Yeshua would demonstrate this later on.

From the time of the completion of the Mosaic Law there is no record of any Jewish person who had been cleansed of leprosy. Miriam, Moses’ sister, was cleansed before the completion of the Law, and Naaman was a Gentile. The Jews called leprosy “the finger of God,” or “the stroke.” The person had to be cleansed, not healed. It was thought that leprosy was caused by sin, therefore a leper was unclean. This was such an issue that the Book of Leviticus, chapters 13 and 14, gave detailed instructions as to what was to be done in a case after cleansing occurred. Because no Jew had been cleansed of leprosy in such a long time, they held the belief that the normal Rabbis could not do this and when Messiah came, He alone would be able to do it. This is the first challenge that Yeshua made to the leadership of Israel to recognize His Messiahship, by sending a leper to them that He had cleansed.

Source: Leviticus 13, 14

Mt. 11:6 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Lk. 7:23 “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

The verb “to stumble” in the response of Yeshua is a strong word for Yochanan. It means to sin or fail in a serious manner. Yochanan had missed the significance of Yeshua’s work, who in reality was both defining the Messianic Task and giving a stern warning. He was earnestly inviting Yochanan to accept His mission as it was being fulfilled in the midst of the people.

Mt. 11:7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
Lk. 7:24 When the m essengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken in the wind?

The third reference is seen here in Yeshua’s reply to the crowds concerning Yochanan haMatbil. There was a common parable during the first century Judaism known as “The Reed and the Oak Tree.” Without an understanding of this parable it is difficult for us to grasp the imagery behind this passage. According to this parable, there was a giant oak tree and a reed both planted by the river. When a storm came, the oak tree with its deep roots was firmly established and would not budge or compromise. The oak would withstand great gusts of wind, until finally the wind became so strong that its roots gave way and the oak crashed to the ground. The reed, on the other hand, would bend to the right or left with each gust. The concluding principle of the story is that the oak was rigid, and refusing to compromise, gave its life in the storm. Yeshua pointed out to this familiar story. The Jews that heard Him immediately understood what He was saying and asked no questions. Yochanan was not a reed that bent before every gust, but like the giant oak, was rigid and uncompromising. The sad part of it was that Yochanan, like the oak, would be required to give his life for his beliefs.

Parables made up approximately one-third of Yeshua’s teaching, and according to Mark’s Gospel (4:34), He did not teach without them. This was a major form of Jewish teaching used by all the Rabbis known as Haggigah, and literally thousands of these stories have been preserved. Ancient Jews believed that legal references (Halakhah) were for details, but Haggigah was for inspiration. Yeshua’s use of parables as a major part of His teaching also showed that He very much believed in the Oral Law (Mishnah).

Source: Mark 4:34

Mt. 11:8 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
Lk. 7:25 “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in king’s courts.”

Mt. 11:9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”
Lk. 7:26 “But what did you go out to see? A Prophet? Yes? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”

Mt. 11:10 “For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”
Lk. 7:27 “This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”

Source: Malachi 3:1

In summary, Yeshua gave this evaluation of Yochanan haMatbil. First, he was not characterized by wishy-washiness. He was not a reed shaken in the wind. Second, he was not characterized by luxurious living. He wore clothes made of camel’s hair; he ate locusts and wild honey for his main diet. Third, Yochanan was a prophet in the true sense of the word. He both predicted events and proclaimed the Good News. Fourth, he was more than a prophet. He was the forerunner of the Messiah, the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. And fifth, Yochanan was the greatest of the Old Testament saints.

Mt. 11:11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”
Lk. 7:28 “For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Yeshua also notes that the least in the Kingdom of God (or Heaven) is greater than Yochanan. Yochanan haMatbil has been left behind. He is excluded from the Kingdom Movement. Yeshua gives Yochanan a stern warning. Although he represents the last of the Old Testament prophets who yearned for the appearance of the Anointed One, Yochanan had not understood the Messianic Task as defined by Yeshua. His misunderstanding had its origin in the plurality of the Messianic Expectation of first century Judaism. This is not to say that Yochanan stopped believing that Yeshua was the Messiah, but he embraced an incorrect eschatological scenario which hindered him from joining Yeshua’s Kingdom Movement. We can only hope that when Yochanan’s disciples returned to him with Yeshua’s response, that he finally understood Yeshua’s purpose and mission, and changed his way of thinking.

Mt. 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.”

The key to understanding this verse turns out to be an old Rabbinic interpretation (Midrash) of Micah 2:12,13. (12) “I will assemble Jacob, all of you; I will bring together the remnant of Israel; I will make them all like sheep of Bozrah, they will be noisy with people. (13) One who makes a breach goes before them; they enlarge it to a gate and leave by it. Their king marches before them, the Lord at their head.” In verse thirteen the breach maker and the king are the same person, but in Rabbinic interpretation they are actually two different people. The “breach maker” is interpreted as being Elijah and “their King” is the Messiah, the Branch (Zech. 3:8) and the Son of David. “Suffering violence” is a mistranslation and should read “breaking forth.” “The violent take it by force” should read “those who are breaking out in it,” or “by means of it.”

Sources: Zech. 3:8; Midrash of Micah 2:12, 13

These verses are full of rich imagery. It is a picture of a shepherd pinning up his sheep for the night. He quickly builds a fold by throwing up a makeshift rock fence against the side of a cliff. The next morning, to let the sheep out after spending the night in those cramped quarters, he makes a hole or a breach in the fence by tossing some of the stones aside. He steps through his “gate” with the sheep following close behind. They have been penned up all night and can hardly wait to get out of their cramped quarters. Of course, they push and shove, several trying to get through at the same time, further breaching the little gate in their eagerness to get out into the green pastures. Finally, they burst into the open places, rushing headlong after the shepherd.

In this verse, as in the Midrash, Elijah (or Yochanan haMatbil) is the “breach maker,” the “porezt.” He makes the breach in the rock fence and goes through first. He has opened the way. He is the Elijah of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5,6, who goes before the Lord to prepare His way. As in the Midrash, Yeshua the King follows Yochanan. Yeshua is the Lord Himself, who leads the sheep through the gate. It is a powerful image. Elijah had come and opened the way, and the Lord Himself was leading a noisy multitude out to freedom.

Source: Malachi 3:1; 4:5, 6

There are, according to Yeshua, individuals who are already in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is not exactly the same sense in which the Rabbis understood the Kingdom. For them the Kingdom had been always an unchanging reality, but for Yeshua there was a specific point in time when the Kingdom began breaking out on the earth. This then is the realized eschatology of Yeshua. He is the only Jew of ancient times known to us who preached not only that people were on the threshold of the end times, but that the new age of salvation had already begun. For Yeshua, the Kingdom of Heaven is not only the eschatological rule of God that had dawned already, but a divinely willed movement that spreads among people throughout the earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is not simply a matter of God’s kingship, but also the domain of His rule, an expanding realm embracing ever more and more people, a realm into which one may enter and find one’s inheritance, a realm where there are both great and small.

Mt. 11:13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.”

The main feature of the message of the prophets was identified by the Rabbis as the days of the Messiah. Concerning Yochanan haMatbil, Yeshua said, “All the prophets prophesied until Yochanan.” The ultimate reason for the work of the prophets was to point beyond their days. From the time of Yochanan haMatbil until now, the Kingdom of Heaven breaks forth, and if one can understand it properly, Yochanan fills the role of Elijah who was designated to prepare the way before the coming of the Anointed Redeemer.

Mt. 11:14 “And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
Mt. 11:15 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Lk. 7:29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
Lk. 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

Mt. 11:16a “But to what shall I liken this generation?
Lk. 7:31 And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?”

These two verses here should make it very plain as to what generation Yeshua referred to throughout the gospel story. He was not talking about a generation some two thousand years in the future. He was talking about that present generation that was alive right then.

Mt. 11:16b “It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,
Lk. 7:32a “They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

Mt. 11:17 “And saying, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.’”
Lk. 7:32b Saying, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not weep.’”

According to Josephus, people were hired as public mourners in case someone died.

Source: Jos. Wars. 3.9.5, note #1

Mt. 11:18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’”
Lk. 7:33 “For John came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’”

Mt. 11:19a “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a gluttonous man and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
Lk. 7:34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

Mt. 11:19b “But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Lk. 7:35 “But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

A document known as the “Assumption of Moses” from the first century C.E., reproaches the Pharisees for being men who “at every hour of the day love to banquet and gorge themselves, who from morning till evening love to way: ‘we want feasting and plenty to eat and drink.’” This reminds us of the Tosefta and Talmudic description of the “sons of the synagogue” and the “communities of Jerusalem” which some say also referred to the Pharisees (BT:Betzia 14b). All this seems to be the same wording that was attributed to Yeshua as He was accused of being “a glutton and a wine bibber.”

Sources: BT;Betzia 14b; Assumption of Moses

The association of Yeshua with questionable segments of society also brought serious conflict. The attention He gave to women was unusual considering their comparatively low position during this time. In addition, He interacted with tax collectors, one of the most hated classes of people. He also dealt with lepers, who were shunned by all. Furthermore He had contact with the scorned, mixed race of the Samaritans and He broke through traditional thinking of His day by reaching out to the Gentiles, thus paving the way for the later Jewish Christian missions to the non-Jewish world.

Segment no. 058 -- Mt. 11:20-30

Title: Yeshua Curses the Cities

Mt. 11: 20 Then He began to upbraid the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.
Mt. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

Here we have the condemnation of three key cities for their unbelief. They are Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The reason for the condemnation of those three is because the majority of Yeshua’s miracles were performed in these three cities. They had the greatest manifestation regarding His claims, and yet, they rejected Him.

Now we know of miracles He performed in Capernaum and also in Bethsaida. But, we don’t know of single miracle He performed in Chorazin. Not a single miracle is recorded in the Gospels. And yet, according to these statements, there were more miracles performed in Chorazin than in Jerusalem. So again, this shows the truth of the statement of Yochanan, the Gospel writer. The Gospel writers had to be selective as to what they recorded. Although Chorazin was one of the three primary cities of Yeshua’s ministry, we don’t have so much as a single record of Him being there, let along performing miracles there.

Mt. 11:22 “But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”

This verse is used by some to establish the teaching that there are degrees of punishment in hell. They say that while all unbelievers do end up in the lake of fire, there will be different degrees of punishment there. The degree of punishment will be determined by the degree of light one had received and then failed to respond to. Whether this teaching is true or not doesn’t really make any difference. Hell will be an intolerable state of torment regardless if the flames burn hotter for some than they do for others. The idea is to not go there in the first place. When the day of judgment comes, you need to have repented of your sins and be ready to face the Lord. Then you won’t have to worry about hell.

The Bible does not explain why it would be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, except that these were two Gentile cities, and according to verse no. 21, Yeshua knew that they would have been more receptive to the Gospel than these three cities had been. He did not actually go there and perform miracles, but He knew how they would respond to them if He did.

Mt. 11:23 “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in yo had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
Mt. 11:24 “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Mt. 11:25 At that time Yeshua answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

In this verse we have a whole thanksgiving hymn, written in the style of the Essene hymns. “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto the simple ones .......” The opening words, “I thank thee,” appears in most of the Thanksgiving Hymns. The idea that the deepest truths are closed to certain people also belongs to the world of the Essenes. Even the word “simple” hinting as it does to opposition towards the intellectualism of “the wise and prudent”comes from the world of the Essenes, and to some extent, from that of the Pious.

Source: Thanksgiving Hymns

Mt. 11:26 “Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.”
Mt. 11:27 “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Mt. 11:28 “Come to Me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Because of a misunderstanding of the Law, many people today think bondage comes from serving God from the Law. The ancients believed that bondage only came from the unlawful use of the Law (Torah). M:Avoth 3:5 says, “Whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of the Torah takes on himself God’s presence and brings rest, and whosoever does not take upon himself the yoke of the Torah will have a time of hard labor.” To the Jew in ancient times, and even today, the keeping of the Torah was not bondage, but a time of rejoicing and feasting. The burden of tzedakah was considered light. The burden of a good heart was easy, while the burden of a bad, stingy heart was heavy.

Source: M:Avoth 3:5

Mt. 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

When Yeshua instructed His disciples to “take My yoke upon you,” we know from Rabbinic literature that “take my yoke” was a Rabbinic phrase for “come to my school” (M:Avoth 3:5).

Source: M:Avoth 3:5

Mt. 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Hillel, during the first century C.E., set as his main principle the bringing of men closer to the Torah. In opposition to Shammai, he consented to the admission of proselytes, even when they laid down unreasonable standards for admission (BT:Shabbath 31a). It is said that some in the Shammai School considered Gentile converts a leprosy in Israel. It was this group that Yeshua referred to when He said, “they bind heavy and grievous burdens on others” (Mt. 23:4; Lk. 11:46). In contrast, His yoke was so easy and accessible. Hillel, like Yeshua, was in favor of taking the message to all of mankind and had eighty talmidim or disciples, thirty of which the Shekhinah rested upon, thirty of which the sun would stand still for like it did for Joshua, and twenty that were average (BT:Sukkoth 28a).

Sources: Mt. 23:4; Lk. 11:46; BT:Shabbat 31a; BT:Sukkoth 28a

Segment no. 059 -- Lk. 7:36-50

Title: A Sinful Woman is Forgiven

Lk. 7:36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him, and He went to the Pharisees’ house, and sat down to eat.

Now in this and other subsequent segments we are going to find Pharisees inviting Yeshua to dinner. This isn’t because they were being nice to Him. They are looking for opportunities to find fault in Him.

Lk. 7:37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Yeshua sat at the table in the Pharisees’ house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil.

You will note that this woman had easy access to the home of the Pharisee. Entrance was easy because of the custom of wealthy Pharisees to have their doors open during meals. M:Avoth 1:5 says, “Rabbi Yosi ben Yochanan of Jerusalem said, ‘Let your house be open to the street and let the poor be children of your house.’” So usually wealthy Pharisees had their door open so the poor could come in and get some food to eat.

Source: M:Avoth 1:5

The ancients considered alabaster to be the best material in which to preserve their ointments. The Oriental alabaster is a translucent carbonate of lime, found in the floors of limestone caves by the percolation of water. It usually clouded or banded like agate, hence it is sometimes called onyx marble.

Now we have a little surprise. In this story the Gospel writer does not identify who this woman is. But a little later on, John in his Gospel does. “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the feet of the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick” (John 11:1, 2). Evidently Mary was a working girl who travels to a larger town where there is a larger population in which to ply her trade. Fortunately for her, this is where Yeshua changes her life. We will see this again in segment no. 117.

Source: John 11:1, 2

Lk. 7:38 And stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil.

In John 12:3 (segment no. 141), we find that Mary repeats the same act of great love and devotion towards Yeshua as she did just a few days ago when He changed her life in the Pharisee’s house. Now as to the perfume she put on him, there is something to note in M:Berachoth 6:6 — “The blessing is also said for the perfume although it could not be brought in until after the meal.” She probably brought the perfume in during the meal, but anointed Him afterwards in keeping with Jewish practice.

Source: John 12:3; M;Berachoth 6:6

Lk. 7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And so the Pharisee says to himself, “If He really is the Messiah, or at least a prophet, He would have had discerned that she was a prostitute, and would never have allowed her to do what she is doing.” The Pharisee was correct about Yeshua’s discerning powers. He just totally missed the whole concept of God’s love and redemption.

Lk. 7:40 And Yeshua answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.”
Lk. 7:41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarrii, and the other fifty.”

Yeshua first of all shows the Pharisee, who is named Simon, that He is who He claims to be because He is able to read his mind and tell Simon what is going on in his head. He presents a parable to show why this woman is so lavish with her love.

Lk. 7:42 “And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
Lk. 7:43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more,” and He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
Lk. 7:44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.”

What Yeshua is showing in this verse is that the Pharisee had other motives than hospitality for inviting Him to eat. He did not even extend to Yeshua the common courtesy of a host of that day, such as washing His feet, give Him a welcome kiss of greeting, or anoint His head with oil. And yet, this prostitute did all that the Pharisee failed to do, and it wasn’t even her house.

Lk. 7:45 “You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.”
Lk. 7:46 “You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.”
Lk. 7:47 “Therefore I say to you, her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Yeshua argued that her actions were extensions of the accepted custom of greeting for an honored guest. She had been forgiven of grave wrongdoing. Simon was too religious to recognize the legitimacy of her actions. Simon had been forgiven little and did not have the same understanding of who Yeshua was. He failed to do things that showed that Yeshua was welcome in his house. This forgiven prostitute did do the things that showed that Yeshua was welcome in her heart. The Kingdom principles from the life and teachings of Yeshua demonstrated God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Lk. 7:48 And He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Lk. 7:49 “And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

In the Jewish mindset, and correctly so, only God can forgive sins. Once again, we have an instance where Yeshua is declaring Himself to be God.

Lk. 7:50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Now, to make sure there is no misunderstanding that this person was saved because of her works, Yeshua says, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” It was the woman’s faith that was the means of her salvation, and the forgiveness of her sins. Her works of wiping the feet of Yeshua was merely the outworking of her faith. It is the principle set forth in the book of James (2:18) that you show your faith by your works. This is a very common Rabbinic teaching, and always has been.

Segment No. 060 -- Lk. 8:1-3

Title: A Second Tour of Galilee - Many Women Minister to Yeshua

8:1 Now it cam to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him.

Here we have His second major preaching tour, but this time it is done with the twelve disciples. The first one He did on His own.

8:2 And certain women who had been healed by evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,
8:3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

There is a question that is sometimes asked: “How did Yeshua and His disciples finance their ministry work? Even every day living expenses for thirteen people can amount to quite a lot, not to mention ministry expenses. I’m sure they did receive quite a few donations, but it appears that the steady income needed was from wealthy women, even from Herod’s household. Why would they do this? During this time most women were treated as second-class citizens. But, Yeshua treated them differently. A woman such a Mary Magdalene, who was possessed with seven devils, would have been treated as an outcast. But, Yeshua cared. He treated women very differently than they were used to. They were not second-class citizens in His sight. They were valuable human beings that had needs and hurts in their lives. He reached out to them and they responded in kind.

Segment No. 061 -- Mt. 12:22-37; Mk. 3:19-30

Title: A House Divided Cannot Stand - The Second Messianic Miracle and the Unpardonable Sin

Mk. 3:19b And they entered into a house.
Mk. 3:20 And the multitude came together, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
Mt. 12:22 Then one was brought in to Him who was demon possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both saw and spoke.

Mk. 3:21 But when his own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

Mt. 12:23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

The people of the land (Am haEretz) began asking themselves and the scribes and Pharisees, “Is this not the Son of David?” “Is this not the Messiah?” All their lives they had been taught that only Messiah could perform certain miracles, and now, Yeshua had performed not one, but two of these miracles. Yeshua never came right out and openly claimed to be Messiah. He didn’t have to. He used the teachings of the Rabbis and the Word of God to make His case. Actions, not words, validated His claim and the common people knew who He was.

Mt. 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.”
Mk. 3:22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of demons He casts out demons.”

Yeshua healed this man of his blindness, and also his dumbness, or the inability to speak. He did this by casting out the demon which dwelt inside the man. There are two very important events in this segment that we need to look at. The first is the casting out of the demon. This was not all that unusual in the Jewish world of that day. There was a lot of demon activity going on. Even the Pharisees and scribes had the power to cast out demons. What made this the second Messianic Miracle was the type of demon. There was a Pharisaic formula or ritual for casting out demons that required three stages. First, the Jewish exorcist had to establish communication with the demon. Second, the exorcist had to find out what the demon’s name was. Third, using his name, the exorcist cast the demon out. This formula can be seen in Mark 5:1-16 and Luke 8:26-34, which we will discuss later.

Source: Mark 5:1-16; Luke 8:26-34

Knowing the Pharisaic methodology, it seems clear that this was a type of demon the Rabbis were powerless against. It was the type that caused a person to become dumb or mute. Demons spoke using that person’s vocal cords. If the person was unable to speak, there was no way to establish communication with the demon or to discover its name. Therefore, the Rabbis were unable to cast out this type of demon. But, the Rabbis taught that when Messiah came, He would be able to cast out this type of demon by the power of God. That is why this is called a Messianic Miracle, a miracle that only Messiah could perform.

Mk. 3:23 So He called them to Him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”

Mt. 12:25a But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.”
Mk. 3:24 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”

After this second Messianic Miracle, Yeshua is now being taken seriously by the Sanhedrin. This segment actually covers seven days. It takes time for the word of the miracle to get back to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and then more time for the scribes to come back to Him. What is the reason? It is now the beginning of the second stage of His investigation — the Stage of Interrogation. You will notice that up to this point, the scribes and the Pharisees that followed Him said nothing. They only pondered things in their minds. Now, the Stage of Interrogation has begun with its questions and accusations.

This last miracle has now posed a problem for the religious leaders. They were faced with two options: accept Yeshua as Messiah and yield their positions and authority to Him, or reject Him. To do this though, they would have to publicly explain how He was capable of performing these miracles that they had taught the people that only Messiah could perform. Unfortunately, for reasons they could only understand, they chose to reject Him. Let me emphasize something here again. There had already been many who claimed falsely in this era of great Messianic Expectation to be Messiah. This two-stage investigation procedure of the Sanhedrin was a very legitimate and necessary one and Yeshua welcomed it. It was badly needed for this time. That is why Yeshua never made any vocal claims of Messiahship, because there had been a lot of men doing that. He validated His claims by strict actions according to the Word of God. If He was ever able to get the leaders of Israel to proclaim Him as Messiah, it had to be proven to them by this investigation. Unfortunately, they did totally reject Him, and this is one of the possible explanations behind John 1:11, “He came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him.” It is not that the common people of Israel did not accept Him as Messiah, but that the leadership would not. It is the leadership that speaks for the people. It is because of misinterpretations of this verse by our church leaders down through the centuries that we have been taught that the Jews rejected Yeshua. That is simply not true.

Source: John 1:11

MT. 12:25b “And every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Mk. 3:25 “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

Mt. 12:26 “And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?”
Mk. 3:26 “And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.”

Yeshua responds to this by saying it could not be true. If He was demon possessed, but still casting out demons, that would mean a division in Satan’s kingdom. In other words, why should Satan hurt himself?

Mt. 12:27 “And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges?”

Early records tell us that it was not uncommon for the general miracles such as healing of blindness, deafness, the lame, the dumb, and even casting out of demons to occur. Even Yeshua makes reference to this when He addresses the Pharisees by saying, “If I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out?” The “sons” of the Rabbis was another name for their disciples. Sometimes we Christians don’t want to accept these things, but when they come straight from the mouth of the Lord, its kind of hard to deny them. This kind of activity was quite common in that day. Yeshua was asking them a very pertinent question:”If your disciples, the young ones that you are training, are doing the same thing that I am, who is behind their actions? If being demon possessed gives Me this power, then you and your disciples are also demon possessed.”

Mt. 12:28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The Rabbis had taught all along that the reason the Messiah could do these certain miracles was by the power of the Spirit of God that He possessed. When Messiah came, He would institute the Kingdom of God here on earth. Yeshua is challenging them to admit that He used the Spirit of God to cast out this dumb demon, just as they had been teaching for years. But, if they did, they would also have to admit that He was the Messiah. Instead of doing that, they would rather blaspheme God.

Mt. 12:29 “Or else how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.”
Mk. 3:27 “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.”

The strong man here represents Satan. The one entering his house to plunder it is the Messiah. Yeshua binds him by casting out his demons, demonstrating His power over Satan and his followers. Messiah has come to plunder his house. Hallelujah!

Mt. 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

Here is where Yeshua “draws the line in the sand.” There can be no compromise, no gray areas. You are either with Yeshua or you are against Him. It is either Christ or anti-Christ. There is no in between.

Mt.12:31a “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,”
Mk. 3:28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter.”

Mt. 12:31b “But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Mk. 3:29 “But he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”

Blasphemy is the evil or profane speaking of God. According to the “Jewish Encyclopedia,” the essence of the crime consists in the impious purpose in using the words, and does not necessarily include the performance of any desecrating act. The Jewish Law is based on the case of the blasphemer, one of the mixed multitude that went out of Egypt with the children of Israel (Lev. 24:10-23). He blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed; was sentenced to be taken without the camp; and it was decreed that all who heard him should lay their hands upon his head, and that all the congregation should stone him.

The Oral Law (M:Sanhedrin 7:5) says, “The blasphemer is not guilty until he pronounces the “name” (YHVH, the Ineffable Name) expressly.” Jesus was accused of blasphemy on several different occasions: the unpardonable sin (Mt. 12:31, 32; Mk. 3:28, 29; Lk. 12:10); forgiving the paralytic (Mt. 9:3; Mk. 2:7; Lk, 5:21); at His trial (Mk. 14:64); at His teaching on the good shepherd (Jn. 10:33, 36); and He mentioned blasphemies in what defiles a man (Mt. 15:19). In none of these was the name of God mentioned. In only one of them did the people talk about stoning Him, as required by the Mosaic Law. Evidently none of His accusers were too confident of backing up their charges against the Lord. Blasphemy against God was a capital offense that had to be tried before the Sanhedrin. Under normal circumstances, Yeshua would have been guilty of blaspheming or profaning God by claiming to be God, except that He was telling the truth. That is what made the difference between this and the other Messianic Miracles that He performed and that none of the other Rabbis could. The four Messianic Miracles revealed the Spirit of God within Him that no other man could claim. He was and is God Incarnate.

Sources: Lev. 24:10-23; M:Sanhedrin 7:5; Mt. 9:3; 12:31, 32; 15:19; Mk. 3:28, 29; 2:7; 14:64; Lk. 12:10; 5:21; Jn. 10:33, 36

12:32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but who ever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or the age to come.”

Yeshua has a second response to His rejection and this was a condemnation in the strongest terms against “this generation.” This “evil generation” was guilty of the unpardonable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. They accused the Ruach haKodesh which empowered the Messiah of being from Satan. This was a “national curse” for the entire nation of Israel. It would fall upon every person of that generation (the generation that physically saw the Messiah in person). The unpardonable sin was not an individual personal sin.

The judgment and condemnation of that generation on the nation as a whole came about forty years later in 70 C.E. with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. This was a direct result of the nation as a whole rejecting the Messiahship of Yeshua. It must be stressed that this was not an individual sin because individuals of that day could and did escape the judgment. Nor is it a sin that someone could commit today. The Bible is perfectly clear that the only sin a person can commit and not receive forgiveness for is the one that a person does not seek forgiveness for. To believe otherwise is to say that Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross was not a complete sacrifice; that it did not provide atonement for all sins. There are sins that His shed blood did not cover. That is simply not true. Any sin today will be forgiven if a person truly repents before God through faith.

Not only did the committing of the unpardonable sin by “that generation” bring judgment that was fulfilled in 70 C.E., but it had another very important implication to it. The offer of the Messianic Kingdom to the nation of Israel was then rescinded (Mt. 23:39). It would then be offered to the Gentiles.

Mk. 3:30 Because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Mt. 12:33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”
Mt. 12:34 “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Mt. 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil out of his treasure brings forth evil things.”
Mt. 12:36 “But I say to you that every idle word men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

A verse in the Mishnah gives a particularly truthful description of the resurrection and the judgment: “Rabbi Eleazor of Capernaum said, ‘they who are born are to die. They who die are to live again. Those who live again are to be judged that they fully know that He is God, the Former, the Creator who understands and judges. The Witness and the Accuser, who is ready to judge. That is He, that with Him there is no iniquity, nor forgetfulness, nor acceptance of persons and no taking of bribes. For everything is His and know that everything shall be according to the account rendered. Let not they evil genius persuade thee that the grave will serve thee as a place of refuge. Without they consent thou was formed and without thy consent thou livest and without thy consent thou must die and without thy consent thou shall come to judgment to render an account before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.’” It is all in God’s hands..

Source: M:Avoth 4:22

Mt. 12:37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Eccl. 5:13 says, “Glory and dishonor come from speaking and a man’s tongue is his own downfall.” The leadership of Israel had just very vividly demonstrated this saying.

Segment No. 062 -- Mt. 12:38-45

Title: The Scribes and the Pharisees

Mt. 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

Because of being stung by His words of rebuke in the preceding segment, the Pharisees try to take the offensive. They demand yet another sign as if Yeshua had done nothing so far to authenticate His Messiahship. He has performed numerous miracles since the beginning of His ministry, including two miracles the Pharisees themselves had labeled Messianic Miracles. Yet, in spite of the evidence, they reject His claim.

Mt. 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

Because of their rejection, Israel, He says, is to receive no more signs but one; the sign of Jonah, which is the sign of the resurrection. Yeshua continues to perform miracles even after this time but His purpose has changed. Up until now, the purpose of His miracles was to serve as signs for the nation, to get the nation to come to a decision regarding Him. But now, they have come to that decision, and the decision is that He is not the Messiah on the grounds of demonic possession. From this point on, His miracles are for the purpose of training the twelve disciples for the work they will have to conduct once He is gone.

Mt. 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Source: Jonah 2:1

Mt. 12:41 “The men of Nineveh will rise in judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.”
Mt. 12:42 “The queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the whisper of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”

From the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological finds, we can say, with certainty, that the language in which Yeshua taught was Hebrew and that the language of the common person in Judea in Yeshua’s day was Hebrew; not Greek, and not Aramaic. There are two passages of Scripture in the Gospels that establish this conclusively and this is one of those passages. In English Matthew 12:42a reads:”The queen of the South will rise up in judgment......." In Hebrew the text reads: “Malcat Teyman will rise up in judgment (translated as Queen of the South).” Teyman is the country of Yemen. Only in Hebrew does Teyman have the directional meaning of south. In Hebrew there are three words that are used for south: darom, negev, and the word teyman. In Aramaic, south is doromah.

Sources: II Chron. 9:1; I Kings 10:1-10; Bible Scholars.org

Mt. 12:43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.”

The story of the demon is that it wasn’t cast out, but simply left on its own volition, looking for a better place to stay. He searches for a while, but he finds no vacancy. So he returns to the man he indwelled earlier. He finds that person swept and garnished, but at the same time the demon finds him still empty. He is still empty because in the interval the man never took the opportunity to be indwelt by another spirit, be it the Holy Spirit or another demon. The demon re-enters the man, but no longer wanted to live by himself and he invites seven other demons to join him, and the last state has become worse than the first. At the first he was possessed by only one demon, but now he is possessed by eight.

This passage draws on folklore from Assyria and the land of Canaan dating from as much as 1,000 years before the time of Yeshua. It was a common belief of the pagan religions that devils and/or demons dwelt in deserts or dry places. Isaiah 13:21 and 34:14 reflect this belief. In a later passage mention is made of the “he-goat” known in Hebrew as Sa’er, which is also used for the Satyr, the half-goat/half-man. This figure is known later in Greek mythology as Pan and remains the symbol of the devil even to this day. Isaiah also mentions the Lilith or the night demon. Before she became the “night demon,” tradition says that Lilith was actually Adam’s first wife, who rebelled and refused to submit to him. Further mention of the dry places as habitation for demons can be found in the Apocryphal books of AP:Tobit 8:3 and AP:Baruch 4:35.

Sources: Isaiah 13:21; 34:14; AP:Baruch 4:35; AP:Tobit 8:3

Mt. 12:44 “Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.”
Mt. 12:45 “Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of the man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

The point of the story is that even so shall it be unto this generation that began with the preaching of Yochanan haMatbil. By means of the preaching of Yochanan that generation was swept, and that generation was garnished. But now, with the rejection of the Messiahship of Yeshua, that generation also remains empty. The last state is worse than the first.

At the first state they were under Roman domination. They had to pay tribute to Rome. Nevertheless they retained their national identity. Jerusalem was standing and the Temple was functioning in all of its Herodian glory. But, forty years from those words the Roman Legions would come and invade the land. One million, one hundred thousand Jews would be killed. Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed. Not a stone would be left on top another that would not be thrown down, and the Jews would be dispersed all over the world. And this last state of that generation indeed became worse than the first. This was the judgment for the unpardonable sin.

Segment No. 063 -- Mt. 12:46-50; Mk. 3:31-35; Lk. 8:19-21

Title: Yeshua's Mother and Brothers Seek to Take Him Home

Mt. 12:46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Mk. 3:31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.
Lk. 8:19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.

If you will notice the Luke account (8:19,20) A.T. Robertson again has broken up the order. The events of this segment are in the wrong chronological order. Segments 63 and 64 should actually be reversed. The parables of segment 64 are in two groups: (1) the ones He spoke in public to the multitudes; and (2) the ones that are spoke in private for His disciples in the house. Segment 63 actually occurs between the public and private parables.

In segment 63 through 68 we have a unit concerning the revelation in view of rejection, noting that at this point the Messiah repudiates all earthly ties in favor of spiritual ones, as His relationship to the nation now changes and the whole scope and method of His ministry changes. The first is in the area of signs. His signs are no longer for the nation to authenticate His Messiahship. From this point on His signs are for the purpose of training His disciples for the work they will have to conduct in the light of His rejection. The second area is His miracles. Up to now He had been performing miracles on behalf of the masses for its own sake. But, from this point His miracles are no longer for the masses. Rather, they will be in response to a personal need on the basis of faith.

The third area is His message. Up to now He has been proclaiming widely that He is the Messiah and offering to Israel the Kingdom of God. His disciples were allowed to proclaim His Messiahship. But, from this point on He says, “Don’t tell anyone that I am the Messiah.” And when Peter gives his great confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” Yeshua says to him, “See that no man knows it.” When He heals a person He will tell them, “Don’t tell anyone about it.”

The fourth area is the method of His teaching. Up to now He has been teaching them in clear propositional truth. An example is the Sermon on the Mount. But, from this point He begins to teach in parables and the purpose of His parabolic teaching is to hide the truth from the masses. We have come to a very critical pivotal point in the life of Yeshua. With the exception of His death and resurrection, His rejections are the most important incidents in His life.

Mt. 12:47 Then one said to Him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”
Mk. 3:32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
Lk. 8:20 And it was told to Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

Mt. 12:48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
Mk. 3:33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”

Mt. 12:49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.”
Mk. 3:34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!”

This story contains another of the two very possible explanations for the words found in John 1:11, “He came unto His own, but His own received Him not.” This second possibility concerns His immediate family. Most Hebraic scholars today believe that these verses indicate that a rift had occurred between Yeshua and the members of His own immediate family, probably because of His Messianic claims. Instead of welcoming them with open arms, they say His words show a clear rejection of them as they possibly did Him. Most scholars believe that His entire family, including His mother, did not come to faith in him, until after His resurrection. We do know that His half-brother James was not converted until then, and then went on to become the leader of the Jerusalem Church. This could also explain why, as He was dying on the cross, He gave His mother to the Apostle John to take care of (John 19:25-27), instead of one of His brothers. Segment #094 is a clear example of the tension between Yeshua and His brothers.

Source: Jn. 1:11; 19:25-27

Mt. 12:50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother, and sister and mother.”
Mk. 3:35 “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”
Lk. 8:21 But He answered and said to them, ”My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”