Matthew 19:1
Outline:
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King
III. \\#8:1-11:1\\ The Power of the King
IV. \\#Matthew 11:2-14:13\\ Decisions Concerning the King
V. \\#Matt 14:13-16:12\\ Training the Disciples
VI. \\#Matt 16:13-20\\ Decision by the Disciples
VII. \\#Matthew 16:21-20:28\\ Final Instructions of the King
A. \\#Matt 16:21-23\\ A New Emphasis
B. \\#Matt 16:24-28\\ A Higher Degree of Commitment
C. \\#Matt 17:1-13\\ A Preview of His Glory
D. \\#Matt 17:14-21\\ A Higher Degree of Service
E. \\#Matt 17:22-23\\ A Continual Reminder
F. \\#Matt 17:24-27\\ A New Relationship and An Abiding
Respect
G. \\#Matt 18:1-35\\ Instructions on Getting Along
1. \\#18:1-6\\ Be Humble
2. \\#18:7-9\\ Be Self-Controlled
3. \\#18:10-14\\ Be Active in the Work
4. \\#18:15-17\\ Be Ready to Heal Rifts
5. \\#18:18-20\\ Be Aware of His Power and Presence
6. \\#18:21-35\\ Be Ready to Forgive
H. \\#Matt 19:1-20:34\\ Instructions on the Road to Jerusalem
1. \\#19:1-2\\ Jesus’ Journey
2. \\#19:3-12\\ Instructions on Marriage
3. \\#19:13-15\\ Jesus’ blessing
4. \\#19:16-20:16\\ Instructions of Possessions and
Rewards
a. \\#19:16-26\\ The Reward for Working Your Way to
Heaven
b. \\#19:27-30\\ The Reward for Those Who Serve
c. \\#20:1-16\\ The Rewards of Heaven Will Be Right
I. \\#Matt 19:1-20:34\\ Instructions on the Road to Jerusalem
A. \\#19:1-2\\ Jesus’ Journey
1. Locations:
a. \\#Matt 15:21\\ Tyre and Sidon
b. \\#Mark 7:31, Matt 15:29\\ Decapolis
c. \\#Mark 8:10\\ Dalmanutha or Magadan
d. \\#Matt 16:5\\ Magdala
e. \\#Matt 16:13\\ Caesarea Philippi
f. \\#Matt 17:1\\ High Mountain
g. \\#Matt 17:22\\ Galilee
h. \\#Matt 17:24\\ Capernaum
i. \\#Matt 19:1\\ Leaving Galilee, across Jordan,
toward Judaea
2. \\#19:2\\ A great crowd falls in with Jesus as He makes
His way toward Jerusalem. Perhaps they are traveling
that way for the Passover. Perhaps they wanted to be
with Jesus.
B. \\#19:3-12\\ Instructions on Marriage
1. \\#3\\ The Setting
a. "The Pharisees" are on this leg of Jesus’ return
journey.
b. "tempting him" - Their purpose. They come to see if
they can somehow discredit Jesus.
c. "Is it lawful for man to put away his wife for every
cause?"
(1) Divorce and remarriage was apparently a
controversial and emotional issue in Jesus’ day
too.
(2) The question is not is there "any" reason for a
divorce but rather is "every" reason a cause
for divorce.
(a) When they said "every cause," they
literally meant it.
(b) Some theological minds during that time
taught that a wife might be divorced for
any displeasure she brought to her husband,
real or imagined.
2. \\#4-6\\ Jesus answered them.
a. \\#4\\ "…he… made them.. male and female" - God
created man and woman with marriage in mind. The
union of man and woman is not a by-product of sin. We
were made to need to each other.
b. \\#5\\ "leave… and… cleave" - The only Biblical
reason for breaking up one home unit is to start a
new one by marriage. Once started, it is to be
permanent.
c. \\#6\\ Marriage is the medium by which "God hath
joined together," and divorce is man’s attempt to
"put asunder."
3. \\#7\\ "Why did Moses …command … a writing of
divorcement?"
a. Presumably, it was still the Pharisees who were asking
a follow up question.
b. From Jesus’ answer, they understood that God did not
intend for divorce, so they ask, "Why did Moses
command us to divorce our wives?"
c. Moses did NOT "command" divorce.
(1) These men make it sound as they were not the
instigators of divorce. They were just godly
men doing what Moses had commanded, divorcing
their wives if they did anything that they might
deem offensive.
(2) Man has a way of taking their actions and
attempting to blame them on God.
4. \\#8-9\\ Jesus answered them again.
a. \\#8\\ Jesus corrected the Pharisees.
(1) "Moses… suffered" means that God through Moses
permitted or allowed divorce.
(2) There was a big difference in what Jesus
acknowledged and in what the Pharisees alleged.
b. Jesus answered the Pharisees.
(1) "because of the hardness of your hearts"
(2) God allowed divorce because man, in the hardness
of his heart, can on the one hand commit great
evil and on the other can refuse forgiveness
over the smaller issues.
c. \\#9\\ Jesus gives two kinds of adultery.
(1) If a man puts away his wife and remarries another
for any other reason than fornication.
(2) If a person marries a person who is divorced.
5. \\#10-12\\ Jesus taught the disciples.
a. \\#10\\ The disciples get the seriousness of God’s
marriage bond.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the
man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
(1) Essentially, they conclude that if God is that
serious about staying with your first wife, it
is best not to get married at all.
(2) It is obvious that before hearing Jesus’ answer,
they had no idea that marriage was to be so
permanent; and that after hearing Jesus answer,
they understood God’s intention for marriage was
a life-long bond.
b. \\#11\\ Another lesson - Once the truth about marriage
is understood, Jesus gives a truth about being
single.
(1) \\#11\\ "All men cannot receive this…"
(a) What is "this"?
(b) It is the conclusion that the disciples came
to and just stated; that is, that it is
better not to marry.
(c) Upon hearing how permanent marriage is
supposed to be, the disciples concluded
that no one should ever get married.
i. Jesus was correcting the false notion
that NO ONE should get married.
ii. Jesus was teaching the disciples that
SOME are made for marriage and SOME
are not.
(2) \\#12\\ Jesus goes on to mention some of the
reasons some might never marry.
(a) Some might never marry because they were
born eunuchs "from their mother’s womb."
i. "eunuch" - The typical meaning
associated with the word "eunuch" is
one who has been rendered incapable of
sexual relations. Some, because of
birth defects, might be born incapable
of having sexual relations.
ii. However, the word can also mean one who
voluntarily abstains from marriage.
(b) Others "were made eunuchs of men" - Monarchs
who had harems would place men in charge
who had been rendered incapable of sexual
relations.
(c) And then some "made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven’s sake." These would
not necessarily have been rendered
incapable of these relationships but would
choose to abstain.
(3) "He that is able to receive it, let him receive
it."
(a) Jesus’ point is that if you do not need
to marry, don’t. Rather serve Jesus
with more energy and effort.
(b) Yet, if you need to marry, marry. Do not
let the plan of God for permanence stop
you.
(c) One might conclude that the phrase "just
stay married" could be added to those
words.
C. \\#19:13-15\\ Jesus’ blessing
1. \\#Matt 18:2-4\\ This is the second time in the last
little while that children are mentioned as being
around Jesus. It was probably a common occurrence.
2. \\#13\\ The setting - Children are attempting to get
near Jesus that He might touch them and pray over them.
The disciples stop them.
3. \\#14\\ Jesus rebukes the disciples.
a. "forbid them not, to come unto me" - Jesus wanted the
children, as well as the adults, to come to Him.
God’s presence is not limited to any age group or
people.
b. "for of such is the kingdom of heaven." - There are
two possible understandings of this passage. I
believe both are true.
(1) Jesus could be repeating what He had taught in
\\#Matt 18:2-4\\; namely that you must be
child-like and humble in order to be saved.
(2) Jesus could be saying that there are going to be
a lot of children in heaven. I believe that
children who have not yet understood what sin
is, will be taken to heaven if they die. This
would include those who were aborted.
4. \\#15\\ "And he laid hands on them" - Then Jesus bless
the children and continued His journey.
D. \\#19:16-30\\ Instructions of Possessions and Rewards
1. \\#19:16-26\\ The Reward for Working Your Way to Heaven
a. \\#16-17\\ The Background
(1) One comes with a question, "…what good things
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
(a) Notice his emphasis on GOOD.
i. He calls Jesus, "Good Master."
aa. \\#17\\ To this, Jesus tells the
man that no human being is good.
bb. While many humans might disagree,
this is exactly what Scripture
teaches us.
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is
none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are
together become unprofitable; there is none
that doeth good, no, not one.
ii. He seeks to do "good things" that he
might have eternal life.
aa. Luke tells us that this question
was asked of Jesus by both a
ruler and a lawyer.
Lu 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up,
and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do
to inherit eternal life?
Lu 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying,
Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal
life?
Mr 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the
way, there came one running, and kneeled to him,
and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that
I may inherit eternal life?
bb. Regardless of who is asking the
question, Matthew is interpreting
what the asker actually meant.
cc. The one asking the question wants
to know what WORKS he can do to
earn salvation, not what is
required to be saved. The two
are not the same thing.
(b) There are actually TWO ways to get to
heaven.
i. One can come by grace, trusting what
Jesus Christ has done.
ii. One could be good enough to keep all of
the commands and then earn his way into
heaven.
aa. This man was asking about doing
the latter.
bb. Because the man wanted to work his
way to heaven, Jesus outlined
what would be required for him
to be good enough to be perfect.
(2) Some think Jesus gave the wrong answer, but the
man actually asked the wrong question.
(3) Sadly, when finding out he could not be good
enough, he did not ask for another option.
b. \\#17-21\\ The Conversation
(1) \\#17\\ The Answer, "…if thou wilt enter into
life, keep the commandments." - The man asked
what works he must do. Jesus’ answered, "Keep
the Law."
(2) \\#18-19\\ The Clarification
(a) \\#18\\ "Which?" - Already there is a
problem. This man had been told to earn
his way into heaven, he must keep the
commandments. If he were a perfect man and
had kept them all, he would need no
additional clarification, but knowing that
he was an imperfect man, he sought to find
out which commandments had to kept. He was
hoping he had kept the ones necessary.
(b) To that, Jesus began listing commandments.
He did not list them all, but He could have
for they all had to be kept. However,
Jesus gave enough that if this man were
honest with himself, he would know he could
not "work" his way into heaven.
(3) \\#20\\ The Darkness
Matt 19:20 "…All these things have I kept from
my youth up: what lack I yet?"
(a) This man had not kept even the commands that
Jesus gave, let alone them all.
(c) His understanding was darkened, but still he
wanted to earn his way to heaven.
(4) \\#21\\ The Confrontation
(a) "If thou wilt be perfect" - Jesus wanted the
man to see that he could not be perfect.
(b) "…go and sell that thou hast, and give to
the poor… and follow me." - So Jesus gave
the man a direct command that He knows the
man would not keep. This was not to drive
the man away but to force him to face the
truth.
c. \\#22\\ The Result
(1) "he went away sorrowful" - The man left,
understanding he was selfish and not perfect.
(2) BUT HE COULD HAVE ASKED ONE FURTHER QUESTION!
(a) "Is there no hope for me?"
(b) Had he inquired, God would have told him of
amazing grace!
d. \\#23-26\\ The Lesson - It is hard for the rich to be
saved.
(1) \\#23\\ Jesus tells the disciples that the rich
shall barely be able to make it into heaven.
(2) \\#24\\ In fact, "It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle…"
(a) What is meant by "the eye of a needle"?
i. We all know something of a sewing
needle with its small eye which can
be difficult to get a thread through,
let alone a camel!
ii. Some say there was gate called "The
Eye of A Needle" which was too small
for a camel to enter through to enter
into Jerusalem. However, I have never
found a reliable source that could
verify such a gate existed.
(b) Regardless, the point Jesus was making was
that it is NOT possible for a rich man to
be saved.
(c) This is not so because God does not love and
care for rich people but because rich
people will not humble themselves enough to
come to Christ.
(3) \\#25\\ "Who then can be saved?"
(a) The fact the disciples were "exceedingly
amazed" at Jesus’ statement and asked this
question leads me to believe that they
considered most people "rich."
(b) Perhaps they realized that being wealthy is
not a matter of having more than you will
ever need but of simply having what you
need at the moment.
(4) \\#26\\ "…with God all things are possible"
(a) While it is as impossible for a rich man to
be saved as it is for a camel to go through
a needle’s eye, rich people can still be
saved due to the power of God.
(b) Let no man doubt. For anyone to come to
Christ requires the work of the all-
powerful God!
2. \\#27-30\\ The Reward for Those Who Serve
a. \\#27\\ Hearing that everyone who is going to heaven
must be willing to give up all that they have, Peter
asks, "What shall we, who have forsaken all, have?"
b. \\#28\\ What reward should the disciples expect?
(1) "regeneration" - A new term is given for the
millennium reign, the time when "the Son of
man shall sit in the throne of his glory."
(a) It means rebirth or renewal.
(b) The millennium will be a time of rebirth for
many individuals and for the planet itself.
(2) "twelve thrones" - During that time, the
apostles will also sit on twelve thrones
and will judge the "twelve tribes of Israel."
(3) No doubt, this is what John saw in the book
of Revelation.
Re 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them: and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for
the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,
and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.
c. \\#29\\ What rewards should everyone else expect?
(1) "every one that hath forsaken…" - Jesus promised
rewards to anyone who would give up a
relationship "brethren… sister… father… mother…
wife… children" or their home, "houses… lands."
(2) They will receive "an hundredfold" - For ever
dear one we must give up to serve Jesus, God
will give us hundreds of beloved ones to
replace them.
(3) And He will give us "everlasting life," an
unending eternity in which to enjoy them.
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
