The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 17 Part 5 The Essential Core Of Gospel Truth
Jesus' disciples needed to grasp that His suffering, death and resurrection were planned by His Father.
Matthew 17:22-23 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
This is the third time Jesus has foretold His suffering, death and resurrection (See Matthew 16:21-23; 17:12).
To betray someone means to deliver them over to an enemy in a treacherous manner.
A traitor, or betrayer, is one who makes use of trust that the betrayed person put in him for the purpose of delivering him up to the hands of enemies.
Why this emphasis upon the betrayal, suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Because this truth is central to the core of the gospel of Christ and these men were going to be used of God to preach that gospel.
If Messiah was not betrayed, if He had not suffered, bled and died and if He had not risen from the grave, then there would be no perfect, substitutionary atonement made for our sins.
Also, we must show why the disciples should not have been sorrowful about Jesus' impending betrayal, suffering, death and resurrection.
This truth about God's redemptive plan being established in eternity past, is woven throughout the scriptures.
What do we mean by "eternity past?"
This is eternity prior to creation when nothing existed at all.
Psalm 40:6-8 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
This is when God the Father determined His perfect plan of redemption in order to save mankind from sin.
This is the decreed counsel of the Godhead in eternity past.
Christ, the Son of God is speaking to His Father in this text.
He volunteered to come to earth and be the Lamb of God slain for the sins of all humanity.
He will come and do all things according to the Word of God.
Jesus is the Word who became flesh (See John 1:1-18).
It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sin (See Hebrews 10:4).
It became known as eternity past after God created all things and set up the space, matter and time continuum.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
With God, it is simply always eternity because He is not bound by space, matter or time.
He dwells in eternity, He is the eternal God, yet at the same time, He dwells with those who have humble hearts and contrite spirits.
Thus, God inhabits eternity while at the same time, His own Spirit indwells each one of His children.
He created time, space and matter for us and has absolute power over them.
One day in the future, a day that only the Father knows, final judgment will come and all His redeemed saints of all generations shall experience the fulness of eternity.
Acts 2:22-24 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
God is not bound by space, time or matter like you and I are.
The Father knows the beginning and the ending of all things and of each individual's life throughout all history.
Peter's first sermon focused on demonstrating that Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
This is exactly what God planned to happen in eternity past, before anything or anyone was created.
The Father set His plan of salvation through the sacrifice of His own Son into motion and nothing could impede it because He decreed it will be so.
Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Peter and John were used of God to heal a man at the temple and this angered the Jewish religious leaders.
They arrested Peter and John and demanded that they cease from preaching and teaching about Jesus.
The Spirit of God guided Peter and John's answer to show those wicked men that it is always right to hear and heed God not man.
Acts 4:24-28 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Peter and John were released and they gave a full report to the church at Jerusalem.
The church burst into Spirit guided praise extolling the Father's plan of salvation through repentant faith in Christ.
The Jews and Romans had no power over Jesus Christ's suffering and death beyond what the Father permitted in accord with His eternal decree.
The phrase "whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done" literally mean that God decreed it, planned it and ordered it in eternity past.
1 Peter 1:18-25 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Peter was used by God to write two letters to the New Testament churches and it is clear that he did grasp the truth Jesus communicated to him prior to His suffering, death and resurrection.
Jesus went to Calvary's cross for us, to save us from our sins. He suffered bodily for us and died for us and rose for us.
He is the perfect Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
All of Jesus Christ's redemptive work was foreordained before anything was created and before any sin entered the world.
This is the love of God in action, that His own Son would suffer and die for us, that we might be born again and receive a home in heaven.
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The apostle John clearly understood the importance of this gospel truth.
He tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God slain before anything was created and before anyone had committed a sin.
Again, this gospel truth is a vivid example of the love of God for us.
Romans 5:8-10 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
God's love was directed at us while we were still sinners living for self and rebelling against Him.
We were dead in trespasses and sins and deserving of spending eternity in Hell, yet Christ died for us.
The believer in Christ has been justified by the cleansing blood of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
May our Lord help these essential gospel truths sink deeply into our hearts, to anchor our soul.
May these wonderful truths fill us with humility of heart and a grateful spirit of praise for the God who stooped to save sinners.
Bob
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