and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. Sermons
I. THE SPECIAL SIGN WHICH THE PHARISEES SOUGHT. 1. They sought a sign from heaven. (1) This was dearly the sign of the Prophet Daniel (see Daniel 7:9-14). The Pharisees then desired Jesus then and there to prove his Messiahship to them by appearing in the heavens as the Son of man in glory, and to establish a visible kingdom. (2) This is a true sign of the Messiah. Not only is it a favourite sign with the Jews, but one also which Jesus acknowledged. He commonly spoke of himself, in manifest allusion to that very sign, as "the Son of man." But why, then, did he not gratify their expectations? The answer is: 2. They sought that sign too soon. (1) It is a sign of a second advent of Messiah. A second advent there must needs be, for Messiah is described in prophecy in two distinct characters, which he could not fulfil at one and the same time. He is to come in the character of a Priest, to make atonement for sin, in humiliation, suffering, and death. He is also to come in the character of a King, in glory and immortality. (2) In the first of these characters Jesus had then appeared. He must first suffer before he can enter into his glory, and therefore, also, before he can be revealed in his glory (cf. Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 16:8-10; Psalm 22.; Isaiah 50:5, 6; Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24; Luke 24:26). (3) In the second character he promises in due time to appear (cf. Matthew 24:29-35; Matthew 26:64-68; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 14:14). And in this character accordingly he is expected by his disciples (cf. Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). II. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES TO WHICH JESUS APPEALED. 1. Those connected with his personal advent. (1) At the period of his birth there was a general expectation. The weeks of Daniel were fast running out within which Messiah was to be cut off (see Daniel 9:23-27). He must be born a considerable time before the date of his Passion. Gentiles then shared in the expectation of the Jews. (2) His birth was itself a miracle. He was born of a virgin, and m the house and lineage of David. This was according to the requirement of the first promise in Eden, that he should be the "Seed of the woman," and of that remarkable place in Isaiah where a virgin of the house of David was to bring forth a son, who was to be distinguished as Immannel (see Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). (3) That birth was also attended by miracles. The annunciation to the Virgin by Gabriel corresponded to that made to Manoah's wife concerning the birth of Samson, who was a type of Christ (cf. Judges 13:2-5; Luke 1:26-35). The wonderful birth was then celebrated by angels, who appeared to the shepherds; and by a star seen by the Wise Men in the East (cf. Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2:2; Revelation 22:16; Luke 2:9-14). 2. Those connected with ills public ministry. (1) Foremost amongst these was the miracle at his baptism, when he was about to enter upon that public ministry (Matthew 3:16, 17). (2) This was followed up by the testimony of the Baptist. That testimony could not be impeached. The Baptist was authenticated as a prophet of God by the miracles connected with his birth (see Luke 1:5-22). In that character he was acknowledged by his nation. He announced himself, as the angel had designated him to be, the harbinger of Messiah. In that capacity he pointed out Jesus to his disciples as the "Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). (3) This wonderful character Jesus was able to sustain. He wrought the miracles which the prophets said Messiah was to work. He did everything and suffered everything which the prophets said Messiah was to do and suffer in his advent as a Priest. (4) The very wickedness of the generation that "tempted him, and proved him, and saw his works," was a sign of the times (cf. Isaiah 6:9-12; Matthew 13:14, 15). And to all but themselves is their obstinacy in rejecting Jesus, together with their long continued sufferings, a proof that Jesus is the Christ; for these things he foretold (cf. Matthew 23:34-39; Luke 21:22-24). III. THE SPECIAL SIGN WHICH JESUS GAVE. 1. He gave them a sign from the earth. (1) They sought a sign from heaven. The sign they sought, as we have seen, was that of the Prophet Daniel. That he gave them was the sign of the Prophet Jonah (cf. Matthew 12:39). (2) They sought the sign of the kingdom of glory. He gave them the sign of the priesthood and suffering. The burial presupposes the death, and the death the suffering, of Messiah. These things he afterwards plainly showed to his disciples (see ver. 21). 2. This sign best suited a wicked generation. (1) It fulfilled the sacrifices of the Law. Those sacrifices were ostensibly to make atonement for sin. But in what sense? Ceremonially and typically. Morally they could not remove sin. To suppose so would be to outrage common sense. "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins." Their inability to do this was acknowledged, for it was necessary to repeat the sacrifices. In the light of the great sin sacrifice of Calvary, all is plain. (2) It fulfilled the sacrifice of Isaac. In the daily prayers read in the synagogue we have this: "אנא מלד, O most merciful and gracious King! we beseech thee to remember and to look back on the covenant made between the divided offerings, and let the recollection of the sacrificial binding of the only son appear before thee, in favour of Israel." But what sense is there in this unless the "sacrificial binding" of Isaac be accepted as typical of the only Son of God, the Seed of Isaac, in whom all the families of the earth are blessed? (3) The sign of a sufficient sacrifice for the expiation of sin is, of all others, to be desired by a wicked generation. But were the Lord to have answered their foolish prayer, and to have appeared without a sin sacrifice, as their King in judgment, they would be the first to be destroyed in the fires of his anger. 3. Jesus rested his claims upon this sign. (1) He predicted that he "must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed." Within a year this was literally fulfilled. (2) But now comes the testing point. He added, "and the third day be raised up" (see ver. 21). So about a year earlier he explained this sign of the Prophet Jonah to certain scribes and Pharisees. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the seamonster; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (see Matthew 12:40). (3) This also was fulfilled to the letter. No event of history is better authenticated than the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And if the evidence that Jesus is the Christ will not convince the Jews, they cannot be convinced by evidence; they can only be convinced by judgment. The sign from heaven will convince them. - J.A.M.
For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father. 1. The judgment of the world has been committed to the Son as Mediator, as an appropriate honour to One who had humbled Himself for the redemption of the world.2. Christ is qualified to be Judge, as the Son of God, of the same essence as the Father; the perfections of the Godhead will appear glorious in Him. 3. The saints in judgment will be manifested as the doers of the will of God upon earth. 4. The work of the Judge will be, not to justify, or to make righteous, but to prove the saints by their works, that they are righteous already. 5. Men will be judged by their works, to show that God in the work of man's salvation supports the cause of infinite holiness. 6. Judgment will not be according to the works visible to men, but to all done in secret. 7. Judgment according to works will condemn the ungodly, and make them dumb before God. (D. Charles.) I. THE SON OF MAN AS THE PROMISED, manifested, ascended One. II. His REAPPEARANCE ON EARTH Predicted, possible, necessary. III. HIS SUPERHUMAN GLORY. His herald, person, retinue is glorious. IV. His IMPORTANT WORK. TO raise the dead, change the living, judge all, reward each, resign the reins of government into His Father's hand. (A. Macfarlane.) I. That the Lord Jesus Christ shall return to this earth as a man in the glory of God with His angels. II. That all Christ's believing people shall appear with Him. III. The Lord at His coming in His glory shall reward every man according to his works. (H. McNeile.) Compared with the doom which will be inflicted upon the ungodly at the coming of Christ, the death of nature is nothing.I. THE SINNER'S DEATH IS BUT A FAINT PRESAGE OF THE SINNER'S DOOM AT THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN IN HIS GLORY. 1. We can make but little comparison between the two in the point of time. Physical dying is but the work of a moment; the doom of the wicked when Christ comes will never die. 2. In point of loss there is no comparison. 3. Neither does death hear any comparison with the last judgment in point of terror. 4. The pains of death are not comparable to the pains of the judgment at the second advent. II. IN THE STATE OF SEPARATE SPIRITS THEY HAVE NOT FULLY TASTED OF DEATH, NOR WILL THEY DO SO UNTIL CHRIST COMES. Till after the second advent their bodies do not suffer; they know that this present state will end, after judgment no end; they have not been put to the shame of a public sentence. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Ready for work. I saw a picture the other day in a shop window, with which I was greatly pleased; it represented a room in which was a window looking out upon the sea; a lady with a grave, anxious face sat by the window, and two little children were playing on the carpet. On the table lay a letter, which seemed just to have been opened, and against the wall was hanging the portrait of a gentleman. There was very little writing underneath the picture, and very little was wanted; for I could understand the story which the picture was intended to tell, as plainly as if the painter had told me himself. The father of these little children was evidently absent from them beyond the sea. There was his portrait, but he was far away. But he had sent them s letter containing the joyful news that he was coming home again! And so there was the mother sitting at that window, day after day, and looking across the wide waters, in the hope of at last seeing the white sails of the ship which should bring the long-expected one home. Now this picture, I think, may remind us of what the Lord Jesus used to tell His disciples about His "coming again."(Ready for work.) People Elias, Elijah, Jeremiah, Jeremias, Jesus, John, Jonah, Jonas, Peter, SimonPlaces Caesarea Philippi, Jerusalem, MagadanTopics Able, Angry, Appearance, Aspect, Bad, Can't, Discern, Distinguish, Face, Foul, Gloomy, Heaven, Heavens, Hypocrites, Indeed, Interpret, Learn, Lowering, Morning, Murky, O, Overcast, Red, Rough, Signs, Sky, Storm, Stormy, Threatening, To-day, WeatherOutline 1. The Pharisees require a sign.5. Jesus warns his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 13. The people's opinion of Jesus, 16. and Peter's confession of him. 21. Jesus foretells his death; 23. reproves Peter for dissuading him from it; 24. and admonishes those who will follow him, to bear the cross. Dictionary of Bible Themes Matthew 16:3 1449 signs, purposes 7552 Pharisees, attitudes to Christ 4272 sky Library October 14. "Get Thee, Behind Me, Satan" (Matt. xvi. 23). "Get thee, behind me, Satan" (Matt. xvi. 23). When your old self comes back, if you listen to it, fear it, believe it, it will have the same influence upon you as if it were not dead; it will control you and destroy you. But if you will ignore it and say: "You are not I, but Satan trying to make me believe that the old self is not dead; I refuse you, I treat you as a demon power outside of me, I detach myself from you"; if you treat it as a wife would her divorced husband, saying: "You are nothing … Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth Christ Foreseeing the Cross The Divine Christ Confessed, the Suffering Christ Denied The Unity of the Church. The Human Jesus. Words with a Freshly Honed Razor-Edge. The Threefold Cord of Jesus' Life. The Important Question The Signs of the Times Twelfth Day. Fidelity in Rebuke. "Take My Yoke Upon You, and Learn of Me," &C. Edwards -- Spiritual Light Of Sufferings Of Suffering which must be Accepted as from God --Its Fruits. Of the Royal Way of the Holy Cross The Great Confession - the Great Commission - the Great Instruction - the Great Temptation - the Great Decision. Last Journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. The Preparatory Service; Sometimes Called the Confessional Service. A Divine Saviour. Self-Denial. The Foundation of the Church among the Heathen Christ the Son of God. Tries to Become a Politician. Fails. Last Act as a Politician. Tries to Join the Southern Army. Fails Again. His First Appointment. Feeling of Responsibility. His Concerning the Sacrament of Penance Links Matthew 16:3 NIVMatthew 16:3 NLT Matthew 16:3 ESV Matthew 16:3 NASB Matthew 16:3 KJV Matthew 16:3 Bible Apps Matthew 16:3 Parallel Matthew 16:3 Biblia Paralela Matthew 16:3 Chinese Bible Matthew 16:3 French Bible Matthew 16:3 German Bible Matthew 16:3 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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