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    Matthew 13:54-14:12
    Lesson 28

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:  
     
    Jesus returns to Nazareth (13:54:58).

    ​John the Baptist is beheaded (14:1-12).

    Jesus teaching in the synagogue.
    By an unknown artist.
    Study Tip:
     
    Find the truth in each passage and apply that truth to your life.     ​
    Who was -

    Herod -Herod Antipas was probably named after his great Grandfather, Antipas.  Herod was the son of Herod the Great and Malthrace.  Herod the Great tried to kill the infant Jesus by murdering all the male babies in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  The Romans appointed Herod Antipas tetrarch (ruler) over Galilee (Luke 3:1) and Perea after his father's death.  He was ambitious, self-destructive, and without morals or principles.  Herod married his niece and brother's ex-wife, Herodias (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-18; Luke 9:9), then went to war with Aretas, the Arabian king of Petraea, because he divorced his daughter to marry Herodias.  He then beheaded John the Baptist for criticizing his incestuous marriage (Matthew 14:4).  Later, Herod believed, perhaps out of guilt, that Jesus was the beheaded John the Baptist returned from the dead (Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:14-17).  Jesus called Herod Antipas a "fox" (Luke 13:32) because he was sly, cunning, cowardly, and sordid.  When Jesus was arrested, He was brought before Herod and mocked (Luke 23:6-12).  Rome dethroned Herod in AD 39 for "confederating with the king of Parthia against the Roman empire."  Herod and his niece/wife, Herodias, died in exile in Spain.

    Philip - Herod Philip was the half-brother of Herod Antipas.  He was the son of Herod the Great and his fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem.  His brother, Tiberius Caesar, was the Roman emperor from AD 14 to 37.   Philip married his niece Herodias, who later divorced him to marry another uncle, Herod Antipas (see above).  Herod Philip was the tetrarch (ruler) of Ituraea and Trachonitis (Luke 3:1), located northeast of the Sea of Galilee, from AD 4 until 37.  He built the city of Caesarea Philippi and named it after Caesar and himself.  His rule ushered in a period of peace and prosperity.  He was well thought of by his subjects and died in A D 34.

    Herodias - King Herod Antipas' niece, the daughter of Aristobulus, Herod's half-brother.  She divorced her first husband Philip (Herod Antipas's other half-brother) to marry Herod (Mark 6:17).  She masterminded John the Baptist's beheading (Matthew 14:1-12) after he condemned her for her incestuous lifestyle.  Herod Antipas and Herodias died in exile in Spain.

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 13:54-14:12
    Rejection

    54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

    55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

    56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

    57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

    58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

    Matthew 14:1-12
    Beheaded

    1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus,

    2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

    3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.

    4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

    5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

    6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

    7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

    8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.

    9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

    10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

    11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
    ​
    12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.                           ​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "When he was come into his own country." (13:54) - Jesus went to His hometown of Nazareth to preach.
     
    "They were astonished." (13:54) - People were frequently astonished by Jesus (Matthew 7:28; Mark 10:24; Luke 2:47, 4:32) or marveled at Him (Matthew 8:27; 9:8; John 7:15).  Why?  Read John 7:46.
     
    "Whence hath this man this wisdom." (13:54) - "Where did this man (Jesus) get such wisdom."
     
    "Whence then hath this man all these things?" (13:56) - "Where did this man learn all these things." 
     
    "They were offended in him." (13:57) - "They took offense at Him."  Even HIs neighbors in Nazareth rejected Jesus.  Just as the prophet Isaiah prophesied seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Messiah was "despised and rejected" (Isaiah 53:3).
     
    "Save in his own country." (13:57) - "Except in his own town."
     
    "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (13:58) - Jesus performed few miracles in Nazareth because of their disbelief.  Mark confirms this in Mark 6:5-6.
     
    "Therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him." (14:2) - "That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."  Herod thought that Jesus could perform miracles because He was the resurrected John the Baptist.
     
    "Laid hold on." (14:3) - This means that Herod had John the Baptist arrested.
     
    "It is not lawful for thee to have her." (14:4) - It was against the Mosaic Law to marry your brother's wife (Leviticus 18:16; 20:21). 
     
    "They counted him as a prophet." (14:5) - Many considered John the Baptist a holy man (Luke 20:6). 
     
    "When Herod's birthday was kept." (14:6) - "When Herod's birthday was celebrated."
     
    "The daughter of Herodias." (14:6) - This is Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip.
     
    "Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger." (14:8) - "Give me John the Baptist's head on a platter."
     
    "Them which sat with him at meat." (14:9) - "The guests who sat with him at dinner." ​
    You can also read the story of Jesus' return to Nazareth in Mark 6:1-6.  Luke 4:16-30 gives more detail, including how the citizens of Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off a cliff.
    ​New Living Translation
    Matthew 13:54-14:12
    ​    Christ is rejected
     
    54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?"

    55 Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers-James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.

    56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"

    57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
     
    Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family."

    58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.
     
      
    Matthew 14:1-14
    The Death of John the Baptist
     
    1 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus,

    2 he said to his advisers, "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles."
     
    3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod's brother Philip).

    4 John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry her."

    5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.
     
    6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias's daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him,

    7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.

    8 At her mother's urging, the girl said, "I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!"

    9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.

    10 So John was beheaded in the prison,

    11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.

    ​12 Later, John's disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.     

    The "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    ​Today's question:
     
    1. Did people need faith for Jesus to perform miracles? (13-58)



    Let us know if you know anyone interested in receiving Free Bible Lessons.
    ​Answers: (Do you agree?) ​
    ​
    1. No, people did not need faith for Jesus to perform miracles.  Sometimes, Christ performed miracles for those who believed, and sometimes for those who would believe as a result of a miracle (John 12:9-11; 14:11).
    ​


    Application thought for the day:  
     
    How can you apply the lessons in this passage to your life?


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    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke.  Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen, published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur, published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham, published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Atlas of the Bible" edited by Joseph L. Gardner, published by Readers Digest, Pleasantville, New York; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The New Testament" Recovery Version published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The New Scofield Reference Bible" published by Oxford University Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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