TODAY’S MESSAGE
Matthew 9:14-38 A NEW True Religion
The Teaching today will likely offend some people, although that is not my intent.
Jewish religion, in various forms and sects, existed before John the Baptist or Yeshua came to preach the True Gospel of the Kingdom. John the Baptist preached repentance, and after John was thrown into prison, Yeshua preached repentance from that time on.
Yeshua did not come to build on or to expand the existing Jewish religion, but to dismantle the religion of the Jews which was steeped in traditions and bondage to the religious leaders. Yeshua came to usher in A New True Religion based on the truth that sets men free.
In this portion of Matthew, Yeshua makes it crystal clear to His audience that His intent and the purpose of His teaching was distinctly and succinctly setting it apart from the teachings of the day. Yeshua’s followers would be distinctly set apart from those who would follow Jewish traditions.
Some say Christ created Christianity.
Others say Paul created Christianity.
Still others say Christianity is the white man’s religion imposed on people to control them.
The truth is that the Roman Catholic Church replaced the Hebrew Messiah with the Latino Christos, the English Christ; created Christianity, all the holidays associated with it (Christmas, Easter, Lent, and others), Creeds, Liturgies, etc.; and changed the Sabbath to Sunday.
Christ is Not found in the Old Testament, but the definition given to the New Testament word Christ is taken from the Old Testament word Messiah, meaning anointed.
04899 מָשִׁיחַ mashiyach {maw-shee'-akh}
Meaning: 1) anointed, anointed one 1a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince 1b) of the king of Israel 1c) of the high priest of Israel 1d) of Cyrus 1e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings
Origin: from 04886; TWOT - 1255c; n m
Usage: AV - anointed 37, Messiah 2; 39
3323 Μεσσίας Messias {mes-see'-as}
Meaning: Messias = "anointed" 1) the Greek form of Messiah 2) a name of Christ
Origin: of Hebrew origin 04899; see 5547 Christos, TDNT 9:493, 1322; n m
Usage: AV - Messias 2; 2
5547 Χριστός Christos {khris-tos'}
Meaning: Christ = "anointed" 1) Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God 2) anointed
Origin: from 5548; TDNT - 9:493,1322; adj
Usage: AV - Christ 569; 569
Christos, from which we get Christ in English, is the Latin form of the Greek Messias and the Hebrew Mashiyach.
Jn 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
Jn 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Mt 9:14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
At that time, John was in prison but had not been beheaded.
Mt 4:12 Now when Yeshua had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
John’s disciples did not follow the teachings of Yeshua. In this statement, it appears they fasted according to the Pharisees’ traditions, indicating they probably followed the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, but had been baptized by John.
Mt 9:15 And Yeshua said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
Whether you eat or drink,
or not eat or drink,
you will be demonized
by the religious.
Mt 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
Mt 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Yeshua’s illustration of trying to mix the old with the new:
Mt 9:16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
If you put new cloth on an old garment, you make it worse.
If you put new wine in old bottles, you destroy the bottles, and the new wine is wasted.
Mt 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
The saying highlights the fact that you cannot attach or mix Yeshua’s New teachings to what was being taught of them of old, i.e., Jewish religion, Judaism, or the teachings of the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. Trying to mix Yeshua’s teachings with what others taught will only make things worse or cause the truth to be wasted or fall on deaf ears.
You cannot mix Yeshua’s teaching with other religious or denominational traditions. What Yeshua is teaching is NEW altogether. Yeshua is saying the Gospel of the Kingdom stands alone, Don’t Mix It!
Yeshua’s Miracle Ministry is shown
in the following passages:
A woman healed from an issue of blood
A girl is raised from the dead
Two blind men received their sight
Demon was cast out
Things never done in Israel before Yeshua
Mt 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
Ruler – 758 ἄρχων archon {ar'-khone}
Meaning: 1) a ruler, commander, chief, leader
Origin: present participle of 757; TDNT - 1:488,81; n m
Usage: AV - ruler 22, prince 11, chief 2, magistrate 1, chief ruler
Worshipped – 4352 προσκυνέω proskuneo {pros-koo-neh'-o}
Meaning: 1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence 2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence 3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
According to Mark, the ruler's name was Jairus.
Mk 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
Mk 5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
The faith of people operates in different ways.
Unlike the centurion whose faith relied on Yeshua speaking the word, the ruler’s faith was in Yeshua coming to his house and laying hands on the girl.
Mt 9:19 And Yeshua arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
The woman, with the issue of blood,
her faith was in touching the hem of His garment.
Mt 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Mt 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Mt 9:22 But Yeshua turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Mt 9:23 And when Yeshua came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
Mt 9:24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Mt 9:25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
Mt 9:26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
The blind men had faith that Yeshua could heal their sight.
Mt 9:27 And when Yeshua departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
Mt 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Yeshua saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mt 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Mt 9:30 And their eyes were opened; and Yeshua straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
Did they follow Yeshua's instructions?NO!
Mt 9:31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
A demon, that prohibited speech, was cast out of a man.
Mt 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
Mt 9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
The old religion blasphemed The NEW True Religion.
It is Still doing so to this day!
Mt 9:34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
Luke’s version:
Lk 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Lk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
We will get into this in a little more detail when we go through Luke.
Mt 9:35 And Yeshua went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Religion existed, but the Gospel of the Kingdom had never been preached in Israel prior to Yeshua. John the Baptist announced the Kingdom was at hand; Yeshua brought the Kingdom Power and the Gospel.
Mt 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Mt 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mt 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Some of you who are listening to me will never walk in this Kingdom Authority and Power that I am talking and teaching about. You know why? You have other teachings in you that contradict what I am teaching, and teachers you listen to who contradict what I am teaching.
Many are stuck in Catholic and Protestant religious traditions. You will hold on to the name Jesus instead of Yeshua; Christ instead of Messiah; hold on to Sunday; hold on to Christmas; hold on to Easter; defend Christian traditions; and try to blend Christian, Jewish (Judaism), and Messianic traditions.
Many will continue to compromise, to go along to get along.
Many will continue cleaving to the Jewish calendar and Jewish holidays, ascribing miracles of god to events, and trying to connect prophecies of Messiah to traditions and holidays.
You are trying to take what I am saying on top of all of that and it ain’t working for you.
You hear but, you can’t hear, you listen, but you don’t follow instructions.
Yeshua could not work with the religious leaders of His day because they had an established religion that would have required that Yeshua come under their authority.
Their teachings were full of leaven.
Religion will NEVER set you free.
Religion offers a form of godliness.
Religion will tell you what you can’t do and burden you with a lot of rules and traditions to bring you into conformity with its traditions.
Think about this:
Christianity is in virtually every country with most, if not all, denominations having worship on Sunday and preaching Jesus Christ.
Most all of them are fighting the truth of the Sabbath, substituting grace instead of keeping the Commandments, sanctioning eating unclean things, and observing a whole host of Christian traditions just like here in the United States.
They reject the truth of the Word. Following behind Christianity is Judaism.
In several countries there are those who have substituted or crossed over from Christianity to Messianic Judaism, mixing or replacing Christian traditions with all the trappings of Jewish traditions.
The NEW True Religion Yeshua taught was based on Truth NOT traditions.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
Jn 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Jn 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Jn 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
1 Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
You can face east to pray and pray over your Sabbath candles all you want.
You can learn and speak Hebrew fluently in all its dialects, idioms, and figures of speech.
You can sing the Shema in Hebrew all day long.
You can blow the shofar until you can’t breathe anymore.
You can fast everyday and pray in tongues all day long, covered in a prayer shawl, but none of those things will set you free.
Freedom, according to Messiah, only comes one way: Truth and abiding in or continuing in that Truth.
Jn 8:31 Then said Yeshua to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Jn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
