The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  22:40 all the Law and the Prophets. I.e., the whole OT. Thus Jesus subsumes man’s whole moral duty under two categories: love for God, and love for one’s neighbors. These same two categories differentiate the first 4 commandments of the Decalogue from the final 6.

  22:42 What do you think… ? A phrase often used by Christ to introduce a question designed to test someone (v. 17; 17:25; 18:12; 21:28; 26:66). Here, the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and scribes had all put Him to the test. He also had a test for them. The Son of David. See note on 1:1. “Son of David” was the most common messianic title in the usage of Jesus’ day. Their answer reflected their conviction that the Messiah would be no more than a man, and Jesus’ reply was another assertion of His deity. See note on v. 45.

  22:43 in the Spirit. I.e., under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. Mark 12:36).

  22:44 Quoted from Ps. 110:1.

  22:45 David then calls Him ‘Lord.’ David would not have addressed a merely human descendant as “Lord.” Here Jesus was not disputing whether “Son of David” was an appropriate title for the Messiah; after all, the title is based on what is revealed about the Messiah in the OT (Is. 11:1; Jer. 23:5) and it is used as a messianic title in 1:1 (see note there). But Jesus was pointing out that the title “son of David” did not begin to sum up all that is true about the Messiah who is also “son of God” (Luke 22:70). The inescapable implication is that Jesus was declaring His deity.

  Matthew 23

  23:2 Moses’ seat. The expression is equivalent to a university’s “chair of philosophy.” To “sit in Moses’ seat” was to have the highest authority to instruct people in the law. The expression here may be translated, “[they] have seated themselves in Moses’ seat”—stressing the fact that this was an imaginary authority they claimed for themselves. There was a legitimate sense in which the priests and Levites had authority to decide matters of the law (Deut. 17:9), but the scribes and Pharisees had gone beyond any legitimate authority and were adding human tradition to the Word of God (15:3–9). For that Jesus condemned them (vv. 8–36).

  23:3 observe and do. I.e., insofar as it accords with the Word of God. The Pharisees were prone to bind “heavy burdens” (v. 4) of extrabiblical traditions and put them on others’ shoulders. Jesus explicitly condemned that sort of legalism.

  23:5 phylacteries. Leather boxes containing a parchment on which is written in 4 columns (Ex. 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21). These are worn by men during prayer—one on the middle of the forehead and one on the left arm just above the elbow. The use of phylacteries was based on an overly literal interpretation of passages like Ex. 13:9, 10; Deut. 6:8. Evidently the Pharisees would broaden the leather straps by which the phylacteries were bound to their arms and foreheads, in order to make the phylacteries more prominent. the borders of their garments. I.e., the tassels. Jesus Himself wore them (see note on 9:20), so it was not the tassels themselves that He condemned, only the mentality that would lengthen the tassels to make it appear that one was especially spiritual.

  23:8–10 Rabbi…father…teachers. Here Jesus condemns pride and pretense, not titles per se. Paul repeatedly speaks of “teachers” in the church, and even refers to himself as the Corinthians’ “father” (1 Cor. 4:15). Obviously, this does not forbid the showing of respect, either (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11, 12; 1 Tim. 5:1). Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in an ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God.

  23:13 nor do you allow. The Pharisees, having shunned God’s righteousness, were seeking to establish a righteousness of their own (Rom. 10:3)—and teaching others to do so as well. Their legalism and self-righteousness effectively obscured the narrow gate by which the kingdom must be entered (see notes on 7:13, 14).

  23:14 This verse does not appear in the earliest available manuscripts of Matthew, but does appear in Mark. See notes on Mark 12:40.

  23:15 proselyte. A Gentile convert to Judaism. See Acts 6:5. a son of hell. I.e., someone whose eternal destination is hell.

  23:16 it is nothing. This was an arbitrary distinction the Pharisees had made, which gave them a sanctimonious justification for lying with impunity. If someone swore “by the temple” (or the altar, v. 18; or heaven, v. 22), his oath was not considered binding, but if he swore “by the gold of the temple,” he could not break his word without being subject to the penalties of Jewish law. Our Lord makes it clear that swearing by those things is tantamount to swearing by God Himself. See note on 5:34.

  23:23 tithe of mint and anise and cummin. Garden herbs, not really the kind of farm produce that the tithe was designed to cover (Lev. 27:30). But the Pharisees fastidiously weighed out a tenth of every herb, perhaps even counting individual anise seeds. Jesus’ point, however, was not to condemn their observance of the law’s fine points. The problem was that they “neglected the weightier matters” of justice and mercy and faith—the moral principles underlying all the laws. They were satisfied with their focus on the incidentals and externals but willfully resisted the spiritual meaning of the law. He told them they should have concentrated on those larger issues “without leaving the others undone.”

  23:24 strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Some Pharisees would strain their beverages through a fine cloth to make sure they did not inadvertently swallow a gnat—the smallest of unclean animals (Lev. 11:23). The camel was the largest of all the unclean animals (Lev. 11:4).

  23:25 you cleanse the outside. The Pharisees’ focus on external issues lay at the heart of their error. Who would want to drink from a cup that had been washed on the outside but was still filthy inside? Yet the Pharisees lived their lives as if external appearance were more important than internal reality. That was the very essence of their hypocrisy, and Jesus rebuked them for it repeatedly (see notes on 5:20; 16:12).

  23:27 whitewashed tombs. Tombs were regularly whitewashed to make them stand out. Accidentally touching or stepping on a grave caused ceremonial uncleanness (Num. 19:16). A freshly whitewashed tomb would be brilliantly white and clean-looking—and sometimes spectacularly ornate. But the inside was full of defilement and decay. Contrast Jesus’ words here and in Luke 11:44.

  23:30 we would not have been partakers. A ridiculous claim to self-righteousness when they were already plotting the murder of the Messiah (cf. John 11:47–53).

  23:34 prophets, wise men, and scribes. I.e., the disciples, as well as the prophets, evangelists, and pastors who followed them (cf. Eph. 4:11).

  23:35 Abel…Zechariah. The first and last OT martyrs, respectively. son of Berechiah. (Zech. 1:1). The OT does not record how he died. However, the death of another Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, is recorded in 2 Chr. 24:20, 21. He was stoned in the court of the temple, exactly as Jesus describes here. All the best manuscripts of Matthew contain the phrase “Zechariah, son of Berechiah” (though it does not appear in Luke 11:51). Some have suggested that the Zechariah in 2 Chr. 24 was actually a grandson of Jehoiada, and that his father’s name was also Berechiah. But there is no difficulty if we simply take Jesus’ words at face value and accept His infallible testimony that Zechariah the prophet was martyred between the temple and the altar, in a way very similar to how the earlier Zechariah was killed.

  23:36 this generation. Historically, this was the generation that experienced the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple in A.D. 70. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem and His removal of the blessing of God from the temple (vv. 37, 38) strongly suggest that the sacking of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was the judgment He was speaking about. See notes on 22:7; 24:2; Luke 19:43.

  23:37 I wanted…but you were not willing! God is utterly sovereign and therefore fully capable of bringing to pass whatever He desires (cf. Is. 46:10)—including the salvation of whomever He chooses (Eph. 1:4, 5). Yet, He sometimes expresses a wish for that which He does not sovereignly bring to pass (cf. Gen. 6:6; Deut. 5:29; Ps. 81:13; Is. 48:18). Such expressions in
no way suggest a limitation on the sovereignty of God or imply any actual change in Him (Num. 23:19). But these statements do reveal essential aspects of the divine character: He is full of compassion, sincerely good to all, desirous of good, not evil—and therefore not delighting in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11). While affirming God’s sovereignty, one must understand His pleas for the repentance of the reprobate as well meant appeals—and His goodness toward the wicked as a genuine mercy designed to provoke them to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The emotion displayed by Christ here (and in all similar passages, such as Luke 19:41) is obviously a deep, sincere passion. All Christ’s feelings must be in perfect harmony with the divine will (cf. John 8:29)—and therefore these lamentations should not be thought of as mere exhibitions of His humanity.

  23:38 Your house is left to you desolate. A few days earlier, Christ had referred to the temple as His Father’s “house” (21:13). But the blessing and glory of God were being removed from Israel (see 1 Sam. 4:21). When Christ “departed from the temple” (24:1), the glory of God went with Him. Ezekiel 11:23 described Ezekiel’s vision of the departure of the Shekinah glory in his day. The glory left the temple and stood on the Mt. of Olives (see notes on 24:3; Luke 19:29), exactly the same route Christ followed here (cf. 24:3).

  23:39 you shall see Me no more. Christ’s public teaching ministry was over. He withdrew from national Israel until the time yet future when they will recognize Him as Messiah (Rom. 11:23–26). Then Christ quoted from Ps. 118:26.

  Matthew 24

  24:1—25:46 This is the last of the 5 discourses Matthew features (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes). It is known as the Olivet Discourse, and it contains some of the most important prophetic material in all of Scripture.

  24:1 the buildings of the temple. This temple was begun by Herod the Great in 20 B.C. (see note on 2:1) and was still under construction when the Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70 (see note on v. 2). At the time of Jesus’ ministry, the temple was one of the most impressive structures in the world, made of massive blocks of stone bedecked with gold ornamentation. Some of the stones in the temple complex measured 40x12x12 ft. and were expertly quarried to fit perfectly against one another. The temple buildings were made of gleaming white marble, and the whole eastern wall of the large main structure was covered with gold plates that reflected the morning sun, making a spectacle that was visible for miles. The entire temple mount had been enlarged by Herod’s engineers, by means of large retaining walls and vaulted chambers on the S side and SE corner. By this means the large courtyard area atop the temple mount was effectively doubled. The whole temple complex was magnificent by any standard. The disciples’ conversation here may have been prompted by Jesus’ words in 23:38. They were undoubtedly wondering how a site so spectacular could be left “desolate.”

  24:2 not one stone shall be left here. These words were literally fulfilled in A.D. 70. Titus, the Roman general, built large wooden scaffolds around the walls of the temple buildings, piled them high with wood and other flammable items, and set them ablaze. The heat from the fires was so intense that the stones crumbled. The rubble was then sifted to retrieve the melted gold, and the remaining ruins were “thrown down” into the Kidron Valley. See notes on 22:7; Luke 19:43.

  24:3 Mount of Olives. The hill directly opposite the temple, across the Kidron Valley to the E (see note on Luke 19:29). This spot affords the best panoramic view of Jerusalem. At the base of this mountain is Gethsemane (see note on 26:36). what will be the sign of Your coming. Luke 19:11 records that the disciples still “thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.” The destruction of the temple (v. 2) did not fit the eschatological scheme they envisioned, so they asked for clarification. Jesus addressed their questions in reverse order, describing the prophetic sign of His coming (actually a series of signs) in vv. 4–35 and then addressing their question about the timing of these events beginning in v. 36. When they asked about His coming (Gr., parousia; lit. “presence”), they did not envision a second coming in the far-off future. They were speaking of His coming in triumph as Messiah, an event which they no doubt anticipated would occur presently. Even if they were conscious of His approaching death, which He had plainly prophesied to them on repeated occasions (see note on 20:19), they could not have anticipated His ascension to heaven and the long intervening church age. However, when Jesus used the term parousia in His discourse, He used it in the technical sense as a reference to His second coming.

  24:6 but the end is not yet. False prophets, as well as wars and rumors of wars, characterize the whole of the present age, but will escalate toward the end (cf. 2 Tim. 3:13).

  24:8 sorrows. The word means “birth pangs.” Famines, earthquakes, and conflicts have always characterized life in a fallen world; but by calling these things “the beginning” of labor pains, He indicated that things will get notably and remarkably worse at the end of the era as these unique tribulations signal the soon arrival of Messiah to judge sinful humanity and set up His millennial kingdom. Cf. 1 Thess. 5:3; Rev. 6:1–17; 8:1—9:21; 16:1–21; see note on v. 14.

  24:9 deliver you up. See note on 10:17.

  24:10 many will be offended. Lit. “caused to stumble”—suggesting professing believers who fall away—and even turn against “one another” in shocking acts of spiritual treachery. Those who fall away in such a manner give evidence that they never were true believers at all (see note on v. 13).

  24:13 endures to the end…be saved. Cf. 10:22. The ones who persevere are the same ones who are saved—not the ones whose love grows cold (v. 12). This does not suggest that our perseverance secures our salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches precisely the opposite: God, as part of His saving work, secures our perseverance. True believers “are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Pet. 1:5). The guarantee of our perseverance is built into the New Covenant promise. God says: “I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me” (Jer. 32:40). Those who do fall away from Christ give conclusive proof that they were never truly believers to begin with (1 John 2:19). To say that God secures our perseverance is not to say that we are passive in the process, however. He keeps us “through faith” (1 Pet. 1:5)—our faith. Scripture sometimes calls us to hold fast to our faith (Heb. 10:23; Rev. 3:11) or warns us against falling away (Heb. 10:26–29). Such admonitions do not negate the many promises that true believers will persevere (John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:38, 39; 1 Cor. 1:8, 9; Phil. 1:6). Rather, the warnings and pleas are among the means God uses to secure our perseverance in the faith. Notice that the warnings and the promises often appear side by side. For example, when Jude urges believers, “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), he immediately points them to God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24).

  24:14 preached in all the world. Despite all the tribulations that would come—the deception of false teachers, the wars, persecutions, natural disasters, defections from Christ, and all the obstacles to the spread of the gospel—the message ultimately penetrates every part of the globe. God is never without a witness, and He will proclaim the gospel from heaven itself if necessary (cf. Rev. 14:6). and then the end will come. “The end” refers to the final, excruciating birth pangs (see note on v. 8). This is how Christ characterizes the time of Great Tribulation described in the verses that follow.

  24:15 abomination of desolation. See notes on Daniel 9:27; 11:31. This phrase originally referred to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria in the second century B.C. Antiochus invaded Jerusalem in 168 B.C., made the altar into a shrine to Zeus, and even sacrificed pigs on it. However, Jesus clearly was looking toward a yet-future “abomination of desolation.” Some suggest that this prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple (see note on v. 2). However, the Apostle Paul saw a still-future fulfillment (2 Thess. 2:3, 4), as did John (Rev. 13:14, 15)—when the Antichrist sets up an image in the temple during the futur
e tribulation. Christ’s words here therefore look beyond the events of A.D. 70 to a time of even greater global cataclysm that will immediately precede His coming (cf. vv. 29–31).

  24:16 the mountains. Probably a reference to the region SE of Jerusalem, particularly the Dead Sea area, where there are many caves and places of refuge. David hid from Saul in this area (1 Sam. 23:29). This would also include the hills of Moab and Edom.

  24:21 great tribulation. The words “has not been” and “nor ever shall be”—along with the description that follows—identify this as the yet-future time in which God’s wrath shall be poured out upon the earth (see note on Rev. 7:14). Jesus’ descriptions of the cataclysms that follow closely resemble the outpouring of divine wrath described in the bowl judgments of Rev. 16 and His subsequent appearing in Rev. 19 (see note on v. 30).

  24:22 those days will be shortened. If the afflictions of this time were to continue, “no flesh would be saved,” i.e., no one would survive. But “for the elect’s sake” (so that redeemed people do not suffer more than they can bear) the time is “shortened”—i.e., held short of total destruction. Both Dan. 7:25 and Rev. 12:14 (see notes there) suggest that the actual length of time the Beast will be permitted to terrorize the world is fixed at 3½ years.

  24:24 to deceive, if possible, even the elect. This clearly implies that such deception is not possible (John 10:4, 5).

  24:26 do not believe it. No one should consider the claims of self-styled messiahs because all of them are false. When Christ returns, no one will miss it (vv. 27, 28).

  24:28 the eagles will be gathered together. The location of a carcass is visible from great distances because of the circling carrion birds overhead (cf. Job 39:27–30). Similarly, Christ’s return will be clearly evident to all near and far. The same point is made by the lightning in v. 27. The eagle-carcass imagery here also speaks of the judgment that will accompany His return (Rev. 19:21).