Watch out!...Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod (Mark 8:15)

While listening to Matthew 16 and then Mark 8 as part of the 155-day challenge I was struck by this teaching and Exodus came to mind. Earlier this year I went to a Jewish Passover Sader and heard the life of Moses taught during that meal. I've had the opportunity to study the life of Moses twice and the Gospel of Matthew twice in BSF, not only study but also to teach in the school program there. At the Sader, I learned something new. When the Israelites were commanded to eat everything that night and leave without leftovers. My Jewish friends taught that every batch of dough was started from the previous so that you could be eating bread that was passed down from your great-great grand mother. She said God commanded to burn the left overs so that they wouldn't be taking the pagan ways of Egypt into the promised land which God was giving them.

(12:1-11) Lord said 10th day of this month, lamb (1 year old, male, no defects)  per household, care for it 4 days, slaughter at twilight, blood on door frame eating, roast all over fire (bitter herbs, unleavened bread), eat fast, burn leftovers

(12-16) Lord – strikes every firstborn of people and animal to judge gods of Egypt but will Passover houses with blood on door, commemorate, generations, lasting ordinance

(17-20) Lord – Celebrate Festival of Unleavened Bread 14th to 21st, out of Egypt

(21-30) Moses, elders – gives instructions, they obey (26-27) children ask, tell them, LORD  strikes, every house mourns - Exodus 12 outline

Then Jesus warned about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod (Matthew 16:6, Mark 8:15), Luke 12:1 summarizes that the yeast is hypocrisy, Matthew 16:12 shows the disciples understood Jesus to be saying "Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees". All of this in the context of Pharisees trying to discredit Jesus and Jesus telling them "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. (Matt 16:4)", which points to God's plan for the Messiah (Matt 16:13-20) and his death and resurrection (Matt 16:21-28). Mark places this closer to Miracle of feeding 4,000 and Jesus reminds them about the feeding of the 5,000 (which is 1 or only two miracles in all 4 Gospels). In Mark 8:17-18, Jesus asks, "Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?"

Jesus continues to questions them in Mark 8:18 b, "And don’t you remember?"

• 5 loaves, 5,000 how many baskets left over: 12
• 7 loaves, 4,000 how many baskets left over: 7
• Jesus leaves it with "Do you still not understand?" Mark 8:21

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Jesus Illustrates God's plan as a Door and Good Shepherd

John 10:1-42
AIM: Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Good Shepherd
A) Jesus uses figures of speech to eluding to the truth of Ezekiel 34:1-30
(1-2) To Pharisees, Sneaking over the wall = thief, One enters through gate = shepherd of sheep

• Compassion and Conviction: sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34, Jude 1:12)

(3) Gatekeeper opens for him, sheep recognize his voice coming to him - he calls them, lead them out
(4-5) Shepherd gathers flock, follow him knowing his voice, run from stranger don't know his voice
(6-7) figure of speech they didn't understand, he explained it: I Am the Gate
(8-9) Before were thieves, sheep didn't listen to them, I Am the Door anyone enters by/through me saved, freely go in and out

• John 14:6: Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through him.
• Revelation 7:7, "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

(10) Thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

B) Jesus is the true shepherd of God's people because he lays down his life, to take it up again.
(11) I Am the Good Shepherd, lay down his life for sheep

• Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd...
• Matthew 2:6, Bethlehem comes a ruler who will shepherd Israel, fulfilled with witnesses (Luke 2:15-18)

(12-13) Hired hand, no ownership/doesn't care,sees wolf flees wolf snatches and scatters them
(14-15) I Am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, like my Father knows me and lay life down for sheep

• “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them." Ezekiel 34:11
•  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. Ezekiel 34:16
• ‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Ezekiel 34:17, Matthew 25:31-32
• Matthew 26:31, "strike the shepherd, flock will be scattered"

(16-18) Other sheep, must bring them also - lay down my life, only to take it up again, my accord, authority, command received from Father.

• Jews and Gentiles Reconciled through Christ (Ephesians 2:1-22)
• Application: The role of the church, "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." - Acts 20:28, "Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve, when the Chief Shepherd appears receive a crown of glory" 1 Peter 5:2, 4 
• Application: We also lay down our lives and take it up again by His authority and command. "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep," Hebrews 13:20. "For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." - 1 Peter 2:25. We offer ourselves as living sacrifice, dying daily - yet taking up our cross and following him (Romans 12)

C) Jesus proves he is Messiah by word and works but only those who believe and trust with whole life receive him.

(19-21) Jews (unbelievers) divided, "demon-possessed, raving mad", "no, demon open eyes of blind?"
(22-23) Jesus walking temple/Solomon's Colonnade Festival of Dedication/Hanukkah Jerusalem, winter
(24-26) Jews, "tell us plainly if your Messiah", Jesus "I did you didn't believe me, my works cause your not my sheep
(27-30) My sheep listen, I know them, follow me, eternal life, protected, given by Father, I and FAther are one
(31-33) Opponents try to stone him for blasphemy, mere man claims to be God
(34-36) Psalm 82:6, to whom word of God came Scritpure calls "gods", the one whom Father set apart as his very own, sent into the world, accuse me of blasphemy because I am God's Son?

• Ps 82:6 is addressed to the ruling judges of Israel, who were supposed to serve as God’s representatives on earth. Jesus’ argument (v 36) is that since He is in fact proving Himself to be the Father’s representative on earth, He is entitled to be recognized as the Son of God. - John 10:35 AMP

(37-38) Works of Father, only God could perform/Jesus does - believe him/Miracles, Father in me/I in Father

(39-42) tried to seize him, he went across Jordan where John first baptizing, John no miralcles but everything he said about Jesus was true and accurate. Many believed and trusted him

• Application believing means Accepting Him as Savior and following his teaching.

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Our Doctrine for the week is Eternal Security
Our Attribute is Preserver

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