By Anne Bradshaw
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May 11, 2024
Dear Reader, (If you have not read Jaws of Victory part 1 , I would encourage you to do so if you want the entire message. ) In this blog, we continue our look into the lessons of Matthew 16. Let’s back up one more time to the scribes and Pharisees at the beginning of the chapter. As you are probably aware, they had written prophecies in the Scriptures regarding the Messiah. But over the years, the ability to discern spiritual matters seems to have been compromised. It is from this place of compromise they were unsettled and unsure about Jesus for a lot of reasons, even though He was fulfilling all the prophecies. Maybe they truly wanted to defend the truth. So, they sought to test Jesus in order that they may verify or dismiss the truth of Christ among them. Another possibility and one some could identify with from time to time, is the reality of Christ brought in a demand for order and accountability. We see that in our world today. Nothing new under the sun, right? (Ecclesiastes 1:9). They did not want it to be true. If Jesus was the Messiah, the ramifications would be upsetting to everything they knew. It would expose the error of their teaching that they knew was not accurate. Jesus highlights some of the discrepancies in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). The leaven that Jesus told the disciples watch out for in Matthew 16 was the distorted message from the Scribes and Pharisees. Scripture is scripture we can’t change it or alter it just because we don’t like it. We either accept it or reject it. Those are the only two options. The Truth Christ carried in His representation of the Father, shone a light on what the religious rulers were teaching and the intent of the law of Moses. The deception could no longer be hidden. The veil over the understanding was starting to be removed. All was being exposed. It is how God works. It is the consequences of lies and deceit for our own gain. It is what we are seeing now in our own time. Again…there is nothing new under the sun. People are people and from the beginning, when sin entered in, they have a choice between life and death, good and evil, obedience and disobedience. God wants sons/daughters, not robots (John 1) so free will is given. To protect themselves, their dignity, and their position, the religious rulers of Jesus’ day sought to snatch the truth of Christ, and the freedom He offered, from the people whom it would benefit. Matthew 23 is all about the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees I believe Jesus was referring to in Matthew 16. And like cockroaches scattering when the light is turned on, so too did they scramble for a solution to “put out the light.” But the Light of Christ cannot be extinguished. His Light is more powerful than the darkness. This is the victory. This is why the Gospel of Christ is said to be dangerous to those who don’t want to believe and this is why they keep trying to silence or distort it. It demands a choice of allegiance between darkness and the Kingdom of God with Jesus as Lord. This is what the word “repent” means. Jesus and the Apostles didn’t walk into an area and say, “my, my, my, PLEASE repent! Choose Jesus! It’s so GOOD FOR YOU! You’ll have such a better life, Jesus LOVES YOU SOOOO MUCH!” "You don't want to go to hell, do you?" In Acts, John didn’t play the organ, the choir didn’t sing first to get everyone “in the mood” and the lights were not dimmed…..It wasn’t an invitation or twisting of the heart strings. What is my point? Isn't it true that Jesus loves us? Isn't it true that repentance is good for us? Yes, but... My point is, in Acts 2 after Peter preached the complete gospel (nothing added, nothing taken away), the people were commanded (not pleaded with or manipulated) to make a choice. Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 Said to whom? The people who were demanding what they must be do to be saved in response to the Gospel message. Their desire to be right with God was not because of a good sermon that twisted heart strings, nor was it because of an atmosphere created by good music and singing. It was a response to the Truth and the presence of the Holy Spirit in Peter by which it was communicated. The Gospel, in its entirety, empowers us to walk out our salvation because of the truth that Jesus paid the price and there is now no more condemnation pending for those who believe. Our spirit is saved, our soul is being saved as we go from moments of VICTORY to moments of VICTORY by our obedience. As we walk out our salvation by faith, we are continually being perfected in Him by His Spirit as we choose LIFE and forsaking our old ways and embracing truth. Our bodies will be saved on the final perfect day when the Kingdom is handed over to the Father COMPLETE through the faithful obedience and unity of the Church Jesus is building. We have the victory. The deception is the lie that the victory we have in Him can be taken away. This is not what I have meant by victory snatched. Nothing can take you away from Him. Nothing can unseal what God has sealed as His. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His;” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to keep away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19 What CAN be “snatched from the jaws of victory” is our ability to REST in Who He Is (Hebrews 3). This is something we have to train our soul to do. By the Spirit we must replace fearful thinking and striving with the rest of remembrance and obedience to what God is saying now, applying the good measure of His Truth to the facts of the circumstances we face. We need to be aware of the tactics of the enemy not so we are always in a defensive position (with fear, cowering), but rather in an offensive position, (by faith, advancing). To summarize: In Matthew 16, Peter may not have liked the knowledge that Jesus was going to suffer, but I wonder, could He have rested in the revelation of Who Jesus is? Instead, Peter added his own wisdom to the threatening events to unfold and tried to convince Jesus to choose another path. This was why he was rebuked. The spirit by which he was operating (fear) was called out. The disciples may not have known where their next meal would come from, but they could have rested by remembering how Jesus fed the groups of 5 and 7 thousand. The same Jesus who did that was standing with them even as they strived to meet their natural need for food. When he gives the resources, it is because he knows our ability to steward the resources. We do what we know to do, being faithful in the moments, and the rest is up to God (Psalms 37, Matthew 7, 25). The Pharisees could have chosen to believe rather than find ways to be right and save their own sense of self-importance and significance. They could have rested in the scripture testimony of God who is good would also care for them in spite of all their wrong thinking and misguided decisions in life to date. Dear reader, you are much more to Him than an individual. You are an integral part of His working Plan and if you choose to be a part of what He is doing, He will keep you on the way of blessing that provides, protects, and preserves. As the people of God, let us continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in every nation and situation: that they will be bold and courageous, not giving up. May they be infused with His strategy and strength to overcome by the word of their testimony and the truth of what the Blood of the Lamb has done. Also pray for those whom no one notices. Let those in seemingly insignificant places have hearts like lions boldly going after truth and victory not just for themselves, but all within their sphere of influence as they are faithful to the call of God on their lives. May they confidently testify in word and deed to any who listen the Truth revealed in Christ. Grace and Peace, Anne
