The Path to Perfection

In God’s wisdom, perfection comes through sufferings. How can we say that Jesus had to be made perfect? Was He not already sinless? Yes, of course. “He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). From eternity, He has been “holy, harmless, undefiled.” (Hebrews 7:26) Otherwise, He could not have become our High Priest. What, then, did Jesus lack in order to become “perfect”? He needed to learn “obedience through suffering.” (Hebrews 5:8) In general, we prefer to sin rather than to suffer. We seek gain, not loss; comfort, not pain; “life,” not “death.” When we are tempted, we tend to give in, instead of resisting to the point of shedding blood in our struggle against sin. (Hebrews 12:4) All too often, we do not “put to death the [evil] deeds of the body” so that we may gain eternal life. On the contrary, we entangle ourselves in sin that leads to everlasting death. (Romans 6:33; 8:13) Peter denied his Lord three times to escape trouble. Meanwhile, Jesus walked into the lions’ den and allowed Himself to be devoured by wicked men. He had already gained the victory over selfishness in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed, “Your will be done!” (Matthew 26:42) Knowing that it was God’s plan for Him to endure hatred, torture, death, and the wrath of God so that He could “destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” Jesus chose to obey. Before taking on human flesh, the eternal Son of God did not know that sort of obedience, for He had never been tempted. To save us, He submitted to temptation. Unlike us, He refused to give in. He chose suffering over sin. In that way, He became the “complete” – the perfect – Man. Are you suffering? Perhaps God wants you to learn the same sort of obedience. Don’t surrender to self-pity, or envy, or anger, or despair. “Rejoice in the Lord always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Other Cheek, The Second Mile

Jesus’ teaching runs counter to every impulse in the sinful human heart! Before we reject His words as totally unrealistic for life in our world, we need to try to understand what He meant. The Lord does not here address the questions of war and peace, nor is He denying the authority of the state to punish evildoers. Both Jesus and His apostles always upheld the police powers of those in authority (Matthew 22:21; John 19:11; 1 Peter 2:13-14). Nor is Jesus telling us to give in to persistent and dangerous physical abuse in the home, or to encourage begging on the street. No. Jesus here confronts our tendency to exact revenge. The original law of retribution ( lex talionis) in the Old Testament forbade inflicting more damage than one had suffered (Exodus 21:24). But Jesus goes further: He forbids His disciples from taking any revenge at all for personal insult and injury. A slap on the face hurts, and usually constitutes an insult. Turn the other cheek! Someone takes your possessions; don’t go to law about it. If he infringes upon your liberty, give more than he demands. Freely give to those who ask. Imagine what would happen if we actually lived this way! Street violence would drop; divorce rates would plummet; family feuds would disappear; thousands of tort lawyers would have their income radically – and rightly! – reduced. It’s not a matter of overlooking insult and injury while you seethe inwardly, waiting for the time when you can repay the one who hurt you. No! Jesus would have us “overcome evil with good,” and not be overcome by evil, or by our response to it ( Romans 12:21). He wants us to be free from resentment, the lust from revenge, and the tyranny of insisting upon our own petty rights. In other words, He is saying, “Follow Me!”

Reliable Speech

Jesus continues His authoritative interpretation of God’s moral law by forbidding all unreliable and unnecessary speech. First, he counters the current silly practice of swearing an oath by heaven or earth, Jerusalem, or even one’s head – all in an effort to avoid using God’s name in vain (5:34-36) or promising to give something to God, and then not fulfilling that obligation (see Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21,23). Our Lord goes further than that, however. He also forbids all frivolous oaths; then all superfluous ones. “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes.’” That is enough. Some Christians believe that Jesus here prohibits us from taking an oath in court, or even making a marriage vow, but most interpreters think that Jesus means only to emphasize the necessity of saying only what we mean and know to be true. Our words should be trustworthy. When we sign the tax return, it should be fair and accurate. When we endorse a check, there should be money in the bank. When we put our name to a credit card bill, we should be able to pay it. When we promise to do something, we should fulfill our promise. Our commitments should come from a sober sense of what we can actually perform. That includes marriage vows, which are solemn pledges made before God in the presence of human witnesses. In fact, it encompasses all our speech: Everything we say should be fully accurate and trustworthy. No more, no less. May God give us grace to avoid making commitments that we cannot keep, and to speak only what we know to be true!

An “Impossible” Standard

The Pharisees were known as the most “righteous” people of their time, but Jesus tells His disciples that their righteousness must surpass that of these noted teachers of the Law. In the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, and later in Matthew’s Gospel, we find an explanation for this requirement. To enter the kingdom of heaven, our righteousness must - Be inner as well as outer. Not just murder and adultery, but resentment and lust, must be banished from our hearts; divorce is not an option, nor is remarriage after divorce (5:21-32). - Be positive as well as negative. It’s not enough not to lie under oath; we must not swear oaths at all. “Just” retaliation is ruled out, and must be replaced by generosity (5:33-42). - Be extended to the “good” and the “bad.” We are to love not only our neighbor, but our enemy as well, just as God has loved us (5:43-48). - Be hidden from others. Public practice of piety will bring the praises of men, but God will only reward religious acts done in secret and for His approval (6:1-18). - Be focused on God and not on this world. We are to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, not material wealth or even security (6:19-34). To enter the kingdom of heaven, we must “do the will” of God the Father (7:21). But no one can measure up to this standard! That is why Jesus tells us that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (18:3). In other words, as He said to Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling class, “You must be born again” (John 3, 5). Or, as Paul wrote, we must trust in Christ, so that we might have the “righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9). Only then will our “righteousness” exceed that of the Pharisees; only thus shall we enter into the eternal kingdom of God.

Practice What You Preach!

With these words, Jesus teaches several powerful truths: - Practice precedes preaching. Unless we “walk the walk,” we should not try to “talk the talk.” That does not mean sinless perfection, but a sustained effort to know and to do God’s will with a humble heart. - Greatness consists in goodness. Not prestige, or power, or position, or possessions, but consistent discipleship, will earn one the title of “great in the kingdom of heaven.” How many seek success, but not sanctification! - The “Old Testament” continues to be relevant. “These commandments” probably refers to the teaching of the entire Old Testament (“the Law and the Prophets” referred to in 5:17), as fulfilled and interpreted by Jesus. Though we do not have to observe aspects of the Mosaic Covenant that were abrogated by the teaching and saving work of Christ, we are to honor the whole Bible as God’s Word, and follow the principles revealed in the Old Testament, as well as the precepts in it which are confirmed by Christ and the Apostles. Likewise, we are to believe its history and its prophetic promises. - “Little” things matter. We have no authority to decide which of God’s commands carries more weight than others. Each one claims our total obedience and our attention in teaching others. Resentment, greed, and a bad temper incur as much guilt as murder and adultery and theft, and our speech should reflect “the whole counsel of God” (Matthew 28:20: Acts 20:27). - Doers must be teachers, too. It is not enough simply to honor the commandments of God. We must also seek to instruct others. All of our words should be for the purpose of bringing others to Christ, or building them up in Christ (Matthew 12:37; Colossians 4:5-6; Ephesians 4:25, 29). May God give us grace, forgiving our sins and filling us with the Spirit of holiness!

Victory Over Temptation

These words by Jesus, and the two other quotations from the Hebrew Bible He used to counter Satan’s wiles, show us how to overcome temptation. Consider: - The nature of temptation: Jesus was hungry, and alone in a barren wilderness. Satan – a real person – suggested that He use His divine powers to provide a meal for Himself. Jesus was unknown, and had come to save Israel. Satan suggested that He pull off a spectacular stunt to propel Himself into instant popularity. As God’s Son, Jesus was heir to the kingdom of God. Satan promised full authority over the earth, if only Jesus would worship him. In each case, the Tempter played upon a privilege that Jesus as Son of God could have invoked for His own immediate benefit. His goal: To distract Jesus from the ministry of humble reliance on God, complete submission to the Father’s will, and the death on the Cross which alone would accomplish the purposes of God in His life. - The way to victory over temptation: Just as Satan assailed the mind, so Jesus used God’s written Word to fortify His thoughts against the devices of the devil. He would not allow circumstances, need, opportunity, or His own personal profit and prominence to divert Him from trust in God’s promises and obedience to His commands. Victory over temptation comes to those whose minds are saturated with the Word of God in such a way that they can deflect sinful thoughts with Scriptures that apply to that particular situation. - The result of Jesus’ victory: Adam and Even fell in a lush garden. Jesus conquered in a trackless wasteland. They had each other. He was alone. They disbelieved God and trusted Satan’s lies. Jesus took the Word of God as truth, and all else as deadly deception. They caused us all to be alienated from God. Jesus brought us near. In His triumph, Jesus began to “save His people from their sins” (1:21). The baneful consequences of the Fall began to be reversed in the blessed conquest of Christ. If we follow His example, we shall vanquish Satan as He did. If we trust in Him and the salvation which he brings, we shall know God’s gracious favor and presence now, and someday see Him face to face in a new garden.

Holy Spirit Baptism

John not only announces judgment to come upon all who refuse to repent and believe the Gospel. He also proclaims the good news of Christ. The Coming One will baptize repentant believers with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13). John, though he was the greatest of the prophets under the Old Covenant, could only point to Christ. Like the entire Old Testament, he brought people to the threshold of new life, but not into that life itself. His baptism was with water only, signifying a hunger for freedom and forgiveness of sins. Like the regulations given through Moses, John’s ministry dealt with the outer man only; it could not bring inner cleansing and release. Jesus, on the other hand, was mightier than John; He was holier than this holy man; and He could effect inner transformation by giving His followers the Spirit of God. From other passages of the Bible, we find that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is another facet of that complex reality which we call “salvation.” Some of the other terms used for this-life changing event include: - Being born again (John 3:3,5; Titus 3:5-6. - Receiving the (gift of) Holy Spirit (John 7:39; Acts 1:8; 2:38; 8:15, 17: 10:47; Romans 8:15; Galatians 3:2. - Having the Holy Spirit poured out upon one (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17, 18, 33: 10:45; Romans 5:5; Titus 3:16). - Receiving repentance unto life (Acts 11:18) - Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 11:17). - Being saved (Acts 11:14; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 2:8-9). - Receiving new life (John 3:16; 5:24; Ephesians 2:5; etc.) - Becoming children of God (John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1). If you have received this greatest of all blessings from God, praise Him daily with a grateful heart. If you have not, come to Him in humble prayer until you do receive the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Fire to Come

John repeatedly warns his hearers of “the wrath to come” (3:7), which he describes as a fire – the most painful of torments. This awful judgment will come from Jesus, who will either baptize people with the Holy Spirit, or with fire (3:11; Luke3:16). It will come upon all who do not “Repent” and “Bear fruits worthy of repentance” (3:2,8). The fire of judgment will never end; nothing can extinguish it; the flames will burn forever (3:12). Jesus also spoke often of God’s wrath which will come upon those who do not “Repent, and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15). True repentance and sincere faith are demonstrated by changed conduct, so Jesus warns that “Évery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (7:19). This “fire of hell” awaits those who carry grudges (Matthew 5:22) and those who do not receive the Gospel of God and who therefore “practice lawlessness” (13:41). They will be “cast into “the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (13:42, 50). Like John, Jesus emphasized that this fiery judgment will never end; it will be “everlasting” (18:8). What about you? Have you repented of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior? If so, then thank God every day that you have been saved from everlasting torment in the fires of hell. If you have not yet turned from sin and sought salvation in Christ, then now – even today – is the time to ask God to save you from eternal misery in hell.

Preparing for the King

John was sent by God to “Prepare the way of the LORD,” in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. How did he seek to get people ready for the coming of Jesus, the long-promised Messiah and Savior of Israel? By calling upon them to repent of their sins, and give proof of that change of heart by submitting to water baptism and bearing “fruits worthy of repentance” (3:8). From this we learn that: - If we want to know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we must humble ourselves before His holiness. That gate is narrow that leads to life, and only those who admit their transgressions, mourn over them, and look to Christ alone for salvation from them, will enter the kingdom. - If we truly hate our wrongdoing, we shall forsake the love of this world and join John and his eager listeners in the wilderness – that is, we shall consider the glitz, the glamour, and the “good things” of life less valuable than getting right with God. - True contrition for evil thoughts and deeds will produce a changed life, by the power of faith in Christ and His indwelling Spirit (as we shall see when we look at verse 11). - If we want to help others to prepare for the coming of Christ, then we must, like John, conduct ourselves in a way that differs from those around us. Not, probably, by dressing differently, as John did (3:4) – although our clothing should be simple and modest - but certainly by denying ourselves many legitimate pleasures and privileges.

Mourning Loss (4)

We have seen that Jeremiah 31, from which this quotation was taken by Matthew, brims with hope for Israel’s future. The people would return from exile in Babylon and the land of Benjamin would again be filled with children. Mourning would turn to joy. Moreover, God would “make a new covenant with the house of Israel.”

I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34

The time would come when God’s people would obey Him from the heart. They would know the Lord. And this would come about because God would forgive their sins. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ has ushered in this New Covenant by His sacrificial death on the Cross (Hebrews 10:16-23). Now let us return to Bethlehem and the slaughter of those innocent young boys. We can see why Matthew recalled the words of God recorded by Jeremiah, for they infuse hope into an otherwise dark and dismal story. Jesus, who was called God’s Son only three verses earlier in Matthew’s Gospel (2:15), later heard the Father say at His baptism, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). He is the true Israel, who alone pleased God by His flawless conduct. This uniquely innocent Son of God suffered on the Cross that His people might be saved from their sins (1:21). The single guiltless boy in Bethlehem was saved from Herod’s cruelty in order that guilty souls could be delivered from God’s righteous wrath. We were by nature “sons of disobedience” and therefore “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:2-3). Now, in Christ Jesus, we are “sons of God”, indwelt by His Spirit, Who enables us to call God “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:14-15). As a result, nothing – not even death – can “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Knowing God and His love, we can mourn earthly loss with everlasting hope.

Mourning Loss (3)

By quoting this passage from Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew injects hope into the otherwise dismal account of the brutal slaughter of innocent children by jealous King Herod. As the prophet Jeremiah declared long ago, though God chastises His people severely, He does not abandon them. The land of Israel was bereft of her children by the exile to Babylon, but hear these words of promise:

Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; …. Their children also shall be as before… Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love… Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion… And they shall sorrow no more at all… For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow… There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border. Jeremiah 30:19, 20; 31:3, 12, 13, 17

True to His promise, God did bring the people of Israel back from Babylon into the Promised Land. Why would God not utterly forsake wayward Israel? Because God loves His erring child:

Is Ephraim My dear Son? Is he a pleasant child?... Therefore My heart years for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD. Jeremiah 31:20

In our next meditation, we shall see the connection with Christ, Bethlehem, and ourselves.

Son(s) of God

Jesus was not only a man who lived in first-century Palestine, but also the eternal Son of God. This unique God-Man was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), so that He could rightly inherit the promised name, Immanuel, which means, “God with us” (1:23). At His baptism, and again on the Mount of Transfiguration, He heard the voice of God the Father saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (3:17; 17:5). Satan assumed that Jesus was God’s Son, saying, “If You are the Son of God…” (4:3, 6). Demons recognized His identity and cringed before His authority (8:29). Jesus Himself called God His Father in a way that no one else had done (10:32; 11:25). What does this mean for us? Many things, but at least this: the Son of God became also the Son of Man, a unique Person with two natures, so that He might “save His people from their sins” (1:21). On the Cross, when the Father temporarily deserted Him, pouring out righteous wrath upon His own Son, Jesus earned our reconciliation with God. As a result, all who believe in Him, can become “sons” of God. That is, by faith we are joined to Jesus, the Son of God. To use the language of John and of Paul, we are “in Him” (John 17:21; Romans 8:1, 14-17) So, like baby Jesus, who was taken down to Egypt and kept there until the king who sought his life had died, we are secure in the love of God the Father. The very hairs of our head are numbered, and we are much more valuable than the little sparrows whose lives are preserved by the Father’s will, so that we do not have to be afraid of anything that might happen to us (10:29-31). So, being saved by the Son, we are also safe in the Son of God.

God’s Beloved Son

The verse to which Matthew refers is found in the eleventh chapter of Hosea, one of the most moving passages in the entire Bible. Here God declares his undying love for Israel, his adopted son:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son… I taught Ephraim to walk… I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love… I stooped and fed them. Hosea 11:1, 3-4

Despite this tender care, however, Israel turned his back upon Yahweh:

They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images… 11:2

So, divine justice required harsh discipline, which fell time and again, until Israel was finally taken into exile in Babylon. Even then, however, Yahweh’s love is not withdrawn:

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?... My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. 11:8-9

Matthew’s reference to Jesus as God’s Son, who was sent down to Egypt and then brought back, tells us why. It is He who would “save His people from their sins” by dying on the Cross for their redemption. Sinless, Jesus would be stricken for the crimes of God’s people, so that the righteous anger of the Lord would not fall upon them. Or upon us.

Jesus, the True Israel

By applying this quotation from Hosea to Jesus, Matthew identifies Him as the true Israel, the fulfillment of all the types, shadows, and promises of the Old Testament. In Abraham, God said, all nations will be blessed; Jesus begins his preaching with the Beatitudes, and ends with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Joseph was sold by his brothers and rose to the right hand of Pharaoh; Jesus was sold by a follower, deserted by his disciples, and rejected by His brothers, but rose to the right hand of God. Moses delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt; Jesus set people free from the power of disease, demons, and death, as well as the dominion of sin. Israel spent forty years in the wilderness, sinning repeatedly; Jesus spent forty days in the desert, tempted but without sin. Joshua led God’s people into the Promised Land; Jesus (the Greek form of the name “Joshua”) leads us into the New Heaven and the New Earth. Samson, chained between pillars in a pagan temple (Judges 16:25) conquered by his self-sacrificing death; Jesus, nailed upon a Roman cross, defeated Satan and his pagan servants. To David was given the promise of an eternal kingdom for his descendants; Jesus announced the coming of the Kingdom of God, received the acclamation, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” and asserted that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (28:18) Solomon drew seekers from far away by his wisdom; Jesus attracted huge crowds through his teaching, and identified Himself as Wisdom itself (Matthew 11:19). Sinful priests offered sacrifices in the Temple; sinless Jesus, true priest and temple of God, offered Himself once for all as a full-perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for our sins. Elijah raised the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22); Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:14). Elisha parted the waters of Jordan in the power of his mentor Elijah (2 Kings 2:8); Jesus walked on water by his own power. Unlike barren Israel, Jesus is the True Vine, filled with life for all His branches. May we constantly abide in Him by faith, bearing fruit to His glory and that of the Father!

Christ Our Life

Christ is our life.Once we were dead in sin, now we are dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). Once far off from Him and alienated from the life of God by our sinful ignorance caused by our hard heart, we are now, in Christ, brought near to God (Ephesians 4:18; 2:13). Once dead in trespasses and sins, we have been made alive together with Him and have been raised up together, so that we sit with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5). As the Bread of life, Jesus satisfies our deepest desires (John 6:35). As the Light of life, He leads us out of darkness into the way of life (John 8:12). With the words of life, he evokes faith that frees us from God’s righteous condemnation and brings us eternal life (John 5:24; 6:63, 68; Romans 8:1). By His resurrection life, He gives us new life and a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). By the Spirit of life, He sets all believers free from the law of sin and death, (Romans 8:2; 6:4). By that same indwelling Spirit, He empowers us to put to death the evil deeds of the body, so that we may live forever (Romans 8:13). By His glorious resurrection power, He enables us to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). On the last day, when Christ who is our life appears, we also shall appear in glory – clothed with a glorious body that is animated by undying life (Colossians 3: 4; Philippians3:21). Truly, Christ is our life!