Nuggets of Revelation – The I AM’s of Jesus
I AM The Bread of Life - Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees
Matthew 16:6 “Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:12 “Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
When Jesus says to beware of their doctrine to His disciples, it is probably worth our time to understand what the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees are. What were they? Part of the Sadducees doctrine is evident according to Luke 20:27 “Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him.” They did not believe in the resurrection. This is a real issue, because if there is no resurrection you and I who are in Christ are still in our sin. We are still captive in Adam’s disobedience. We have not been raised from Adam’s death to partake of Christs life. We are still in the futility of the death of the old man. Jesus brought us forth out of death into life through His death, burial and resurrection. He is raised from the dead, and Paul declares that we are raised up with Him. Now our life is Christ in this New Creation we are part of.
Now to the doctrine of the Pharisee’s there is much the scripture declares about it, and much to be found. Much of Matthew 23 is spent with Jesus speaking harshly against the Pharisees and their teaching. He accuses them of being whited tombs, full of dead men’s bones. Jesus calls them blind guides, those who shut up the Kingdom of God, and neither enter nor allow those who follow them to enter. He says they make proselytes, children of hell and that they are killers of the prophets. He declares that on them will come all the righteous blood that had been shed upon the earth, speaking of those God had sent to Israel. The Pharisees sought to be justified through the law. They were forever accusing Jesus according to the law and the traditions of men, they had imposed upon the Israelites. This is significant to understand. Traditions of men has no place within God’s people.
Luke 6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" 3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
Be careful of any doctrine or teaching that does not bring you to Jesus. He and He alone is our righteousness. He and He alone brings us into the Kingdom. All focus in the New Covenant moves to Christ. It is the Covenant in His blood and we do not seek our self-works to be made righteous, but we seek that His works would be done in us. We must be cautious of any teaching that shuts up the flow of God toward us. Jesus declares a flow of life and a flow of water in this New Covenant. We are like those among springs of Living Water and are not full of dead man’s bones but are full of His Life. Glory to God!
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