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Matthew 22:23-23:39

Taught on | Topic: Pharisees and Sadducees | Keywords: hypocrisy, Pharisee, Pharisees, Sadducees, Sadducee, judgment, hypocrite

In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven—His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold—to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable—we learn here danger of that the perilous position.

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7/25/2012
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Matthew 22:23-23:39
Matthew 22:23-23:39
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Message Summary
In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven—His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold—to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable—we learn here danger of that the perilous position.
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40 Matthew - 2011

40 Matthew - 2011

From its opening genealogy through its careful record of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled, Matthew's gospel forms a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In this in-depth study by Pastor Skip Heitzig we'll consider Jesus' ancestry, birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection, and we'll gain a clearer understanding of Jesus as both Messiah and King.

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Study Guide

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Matthew 23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! - Matthew 23:13ff (NKJV)
PREVIEW: In Matthew 23, Jesus reveals the true desire of the Pharisees—to be seen by man. Jesus pronounces eight woes on the Pharisees and laments over Jerusalem, announcing their destruction, but He leaves them with a hope.

Matthew 22 Outline:
Jesus Characterizes the Pharisees - Read Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees - Read Matthew 23:13-36
Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem - Read Matthew 23:37-39

Jesus Characterizes the Pharisees - Read Matthew 23:1-12

1. Jesus said that the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat, or have seated themselves in a position of authority over God's people, although they were not called by God into that position. What does Jesus tell the multitudes and His disciples to do and to not do (v. 3)?




2. Jesus said the scribes and Pharisees bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders (v. 4). What were these burdens? Why were they hard to bear? (See Matthew 15:2-6 and Acts 15:5-10.)




3. What was the reason Jesus gives to explain the true motive behind the works of the Pharisees (v. 5)? What things did they do because of this motive (vv. 5-7)? (See also Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18.)





4. What three things does Jesus instruct the multitudes and disciples not to be called and why (vv. 8-10)? (See also John 14:26, John 1:12-13, Romans 8:14-17, 2 Corinthians 6:18, and 1 John 2:27.)





5. What exemplary actions does Jesus say the multitudes and disciples should do instead of doing what the scribes and Pharisees do (vv. 11-12)?





6. What practical steps can you take to do the exemplary actions Jesus said the multitudes and disciples should do?





Jesus Condemns the Pharisees - Read Matthew 23:13-36

7. Jesus pronounces eight woes upon the scribes and Pharisees. What does "woe" mean?




8. The eight woes are contrasts to the eight "blessed" statements given by Jesus in Matthew 5:3-10. What is the first woe pronounced upon the scribes and Pharisees? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:3. Why were the scribe and Pharisees deserving of this first woe (v. 13)? (See also Matthew 23:4 and Luke 11:52)




9. What is the second woe (v. 14)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:4. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also Matthew 6:5–6, 2 Timothy 3:6, and Titus 1:10-11.)





10. What is the third woe (v. 15)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:5. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also Galatians 3:1-3, 4:9-10, 17, and Romans 10:1-3.)






11. What is the fourth woe (vv. 16-22)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:6. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2, and Matthew 5:33-34.)




12. What is the fifth woe (vv. 23-24)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:7. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also 1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8, and Matthew 9:13, 12:7.)





13. What is the sixth woe (vv. 25-26)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:8. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also Matthew 15:19-20, Mark 7:4; Luke 11:39, 2 Corinthians 7:1, and James 4:8.)





14. What is the seventh woe (vv. 27-28)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:9. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also Matthew 12:14, Mark 3:6, and Acts 23:1-3.)





15. What is the eighth woe (vv. 29-35)? See contrasting verse Matthew 5:10. How were the scribes and Pharisees deserving of this woe? (See also 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, Acts 5:40, and 1 John 3:12.)



Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem - Read Matthew 23:37-39

16. Why does Jesus refer to Jerusalem as "the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!" (v. 37)? (See also 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, 36:15-16, Nehemiah 9:26, and Matthew 21:35-36)





17. What was Jesus' desire for the nation of Israel, here represented by its capital, Jerusalem (v. 37)? (See also Psalm 17:8, 91:4, and Isaiah 49:5.)





18. God deeply desired to bring the nation to Himself, but they were not willing (v. 37, see also Isaiah 49:5). What two things resulted from their unwillingness to be gathered to Him (v. 38-39)?






19. Although Jesus has been rejected by the nation (see also John 1:11), He offered a future hope for them (v. 39). What is that hope and when will it happen? (See Luke 21:24 and Romans 11:25-26.)

Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. Religion
      1. About 90% of the 7 billion people on earth are very religious (includes combination of all religious/belief systems)
      2. Religion: a set of beliefs and practices involving devotional and ritual observances
    2. Dark side: abusive
      1. Every religious system in history or practice has done despicable things
      2. Church: Crusades
        1. 11th and 12th centuries
        2. Under papacy
        3. Thousands of warriors killed unbelievers: Jews and Muslims
        4. Practice contradicted the teaching of the Scriptures
      3. Islam: radical element
        1. Includes multi-millions of people
        2. Slaughter
        3. Mass suicide
        4. Killing of infidels
        5. Jihad
      4. Jehovah's Witnesses
        1. Prohibit blood transfusions
        2. Many have died as a result
    3. Jesus deals with people
      1. With prostitutes, overt sinners: compassionate, tenderness
      2. With religious people
        1. Direct approach with the authority of heaven
        2. Places them in category of bound for hell
    4. Religion differs from relationship with Jesus
      1. Religion is coming to God on own terms
      2. God has spelled out terms and revealed them to man
      3. God has taken care of sin, which separates us from Him
      4. God demands we come to Him through Christ, His Son in repentance and faith or be forever damned
      5. We only need to believe and trust in the finished work of Christ
      6. Jesus sacrificed
      7. Whoever believes in Him will be saved
    5. Divisions in religious systems: Conservatives and Liberals
      1. Christianity
        1. Fundamental, conservative
          1. Only one God
          2. Only one way to Him—Jesus Christ
          3. Some conservatives legalistic and abusive: turn people off
        2. Liberal
          1. Believe Bible is not the Word of God
          2. He/she god
      2. Judaism
        1. Conservative: Pharisees
          1. Radical ritualists
          2. Legalists
        2. Liberal: Sadducees
          1. Rationalists
          2. Didn't believe in: resurrection, angels, spirits, Old Testament (except the first 5 books) anti-supernatural, wealthy, aristocratic
          3. Controlled the temple for hundreds of years
  2. Jesus deals with the Sadducees
    1. Sadducees approach (vv. 23-29)
      1. Argue against the resurrection
      2. Appealing to the Law of Levirate Marriage
        1. In the Pentateuch
        2. To raise up seed for a dead brother by marrying the widow
        3. Preserve the name
        4. Preserve tribal allotments
        5. Ruth and Boaz: Kinsman redeemer
      3. Ridiculous story
    2. Jesus' reply (vv. 29-32)
      1. You are ignorant (KJV)
      2. Like the angels
        1. Deathless, eternal
        2. Some believe we turn into angels when we die: untrue
        3. No need to propagate, procreate
      3. Proves the resurrection
        1. Quotes from the books they believe in
        2. Present tense: "I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6)
        3. Not past tense, "I was"
        4. Present tense relationship with God
      4. Silenced the Sadducees
      5. People were astonished
  3. Pharisees and Sadducees join forces
    1. The greatest commandment
      1. Lawyer asked
      2. Jews  believed in 613 laws
        1. 248 positive; correspond to parts of human body
        2. 365 negative; correspond to days in a year
        3. Love God with all your being, every day
    2. Jesus' response
      1. שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל; Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear O Israel the Lord is our God, the Lord is One… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might
      2. Love the Lord is the heart of it all
      3. You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18)
      4. Old Testament summed up in two categories
        1. Love for God
        2. Love for neighbors
      5. The Ten Commandments
        1. First 4 deal with our vertical relationship to God
        2. Second 6 deal with our horizontal relationships with others
      6. Sermon on the Mount
        1. The Law governs what you do and what you feel and think
        2. Law addresses not only action, but attitude
          1. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22)
          2. Paul acknowledged covetousness dealt with the heart (See Romans 7:7-11)
    3. Messianic term: Son of David
      1. Promise to David that his descendant would be upon the throne forever (see 2 Samuel 7:12-13)
      2. Solomon died
      3. Jews believed the Messiah would be human only, not divine
      4. David called Messiah "Lord"
        1. אֲדֹנָי; Adonai
        2. Wouldn't call a human descendant Lord
        3. See Psalm 110:1
        4. Messiah both divine and human
    4. Jesus' wisdom silenced them
  4. Jesus addresses the crowd
    1. Regarding Pharisees
      1. Sit in Moses' seat
        1. Teach Law of God with authority
        2. Rabbis sat; people stood
        3. Chair a place of authority
          1. Pope speaks ex cathedra; from the chair
          2. Professors hold a chair
      2. Listen to the Scripture
        1. They are high on talk; low on walk
        2. Creed is good; their practice is abominable
      3. Abusive religious system: legalism
        1. Few paragraphs in the Old Testament address the Sabbath
        2. Mishnah (written form of oral law) 24 chapters about Sabbath
        3. Talmud
          1. 156 pages regarding the Sabbath
          2. Define burden
            1. Food enough to equal weight of a dried fig
            2. Milk enough for a swallow
            3. Oil enough to anoint one member of the body
            4. Ink enough for two letters
            5. If exceeded, the Sabbath was broken
            6. Hens laid eggs, sell to Gentiles
        4. Heavy burdens, hard to bear
    2. Phylacteries
      1. Leather boxes
        1. Jewish men tied to forehead and left arm
        2. Inside passages
          1. Two from Exodus
          2. Two from Deuteronomy
      2. Over literalize writings of Exodus 13:7-9
        1. "Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt."
        2. "In your mouth;" no parchment in mouth
      3. Meaning of text
        1. Handle it
        2. Think about it
        3. Speak about it
        4. Part of your being
      4. The Law should continually be before them: guide their activity
    3. Garments
      1. Tassels
      2. צִיצִת; tsitsith; tassel
      3. Blue thread spoke of heaven
      4. Longer tassels, more holy
      5. Jesus wore these (see Matthew 9:20)
    4. They focused on externals rather than the heart
      1. Best seats
      2. Certain titles feed egos and intimidate others
      3. Level ground at the cross
      4. All believers have an equal brotherhood
      5. Term "reverend" used for God alone
        1. Slave is a proper title
        2. Paul and Timothy referred to selves as slaves
        3. Serve God and others
  5. Woe to Scribes and Pharisees
    1. Divided vows
      1. Obligatory
      2. Non-obligatory
      3. Loved gold more than God
    2. Tithed of aromatic spices
      1. Tithe of produce didn't govern spices
      2. Meticulous; counted seeds one by one to give a tenth
      3. Jesus applauded their exactness, but they left out the most important parts: justice, mercy, faith
    3. Blind guides: strain gnats, swallow camels
      1. Gnat the smallest of unclean animals
      2. Camel largest of unclean animals
      3. Strain beverages through cloth
      4. Externals, nitpicking legalism
      5. Focus on incidentals and externals; not the meaning of the Law
    4. White washed tombs
      1. Painted white so that you would notice and avoid them
      2. Avoid ceremonial uncleanness
      3. Tombs appeared brilliant, clean, ornate
      4. Inside was death and decay
    5. Harsh words of Love
      1. Faithful are the wounds of a friend
      2. Popular, but incorrect, concept of Jesus: meek and mild
        1. Reformer
        2. Let's people do anything
      3. True love is righteous and holy
      4. Love can be firm and yet just
      5. Zechariah refers to 2 Chronicles 24 (last book of Hebrew Old Testament)
    6. Jesus rejected, now rejects them nationally
      1. Cursing of the fig tree
      2. Burning of Jerusalem (see Matthew 22:7)
  6. Jesus laments over Jerusalem
    1. Patience of God: sent prophets
    2. Pleading of God: as a hen gathers her chicks
    3. Power of choice: you were not willing
  7. Application
    1. "If God does not judge America, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah a deep apology." –Billy Graham
      1. One nation, Under God
        1. Constitution ensures freedom of worship, not freedom from worship
        2. Revisionists push God away
      2. It could be too late
        1. Not facing judgment
        2. Already under judgment
      3. Given over to what is asked for (See Romans 1)
        1. Killing millions of innocent babies
        2. Upholding any civil union
    2. Bible says a lot about many countries (e.g., China, Iran, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Turkey, Israel); but US is eerily absent from Bible prophecy
      1. Perhaps we don’t' exist to any degree of importance
      2. Perhaps such mercy that we are not part of end time judgment
    3. Every subset is encouraged to be vocal; Christians should come out and say, "I love Jesus!"

Hebrew terms: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל; Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear O Israel; אֲדֹנָי; Adonai - Lord
Figures referenced: Billy Graham
Cross references: Exodus 3:6; Exodus 13:7-9; Leviticus 19:18; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; 2 Chronicles 24; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 9:20; Matthew 22:7; Romans 1; Romans 7:7-11

Transcript

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Turn in your Bibles to Matthew Chapter 22. We want to cover ground tonight and so we want to get right into it. Let's pray together.

Father, we are here because we believe that this is important to our lives. We have made a conscious choice to be here in the middle of the week to give you our time as an act of our worship. In our worship, we have told you by our songs that you are the Lord, that we're surrendered to your care and your rule in our lives. Some of us have cried out deeply because of deep issues going.  Others have rejoiced in song because you've been so good to them lately. But you know us, Lord, and we're confident and we're comfortable in your presence. But we are also here with other people. Hence, there is an accountability to our statement of faith in being here. And in being with other people, we're enjoying fellowship, which is more than just, "Hi, how are you?" That fellowship started long before this meeting started formally and it will occur once we are dismissed. We pray for deep intimate ties to develop between members of the Body of Christ that there is genuine community. And, Lord, as we're gathered together, we make the commitment that you have our complete attention and we do not want to be a distraction to anyone by our moving around during a study.  We're here to say we need to hear from you and we pray that you'd speak to us through your word simply the scriptures. In Jesus' name, amen.

It is estimated that about 90% of the seven billion people that live on planet earth are very religious. That's all of the religious belief systems together.  Very religious. If you were to look up religion in a dictionary, you'd get a definition something like a system of beliefs and practices that include devotional and ritual observances. I think that comes out of Webster. But there's something else about religion that we have discovered and that is there is a dark side to religion. There is an abusive side to religion. Every religious system has in its history or in its practise some pretty despicable things, including the church historically. When we look back to the 11th and 12th centuries and we think about the crusades under the direction of the papacy who sent thousands upon thousands of warriors over to butcher those who were not believers, to kill Jewish and Muslim people. For a couple of hundred years, we have to deal with that.  That's a blatant abuse that is totally against the scripture. That's a dark spot of religion.

If we were to look at Islam, there is a radical element in Islam that comprises multiple millions of people around the world that believe in slaughter, mass suicide, killing infidels all in the name of Jihad. It is not isolated, it is widespread, it is pandemic and I believe it's the next biggest thing this world is going to wrestle with. The Jehovah Witnesses have kept their members from engaging in blood transfusions because of their belief system that is unbiblical, but many have died because of those abuses. So religion has its dark side, its abusive side. And then we also have to think that in Judaism 2000 year ago, the very era that we are studying in the New Testament where groups of religious people, religious leaders who were so oppose to Christ they had one thing on their minds only and that is kill Him and get Him out of our hair in the name of their religion.

I find it interesting to see how Jesus deals with religious people. To the prostitute, to the ones who is the overt sinner and knows it, there is a compassion and tenderness with Christ. To the religious leader who is a hypocrite, he has no mercy. He spares or immense no words. His approach is direct with all the authority of heaven placing those religious leaders in the category of being bound for hell. It is quite daunting and instructing to see how Jesus deals with them.

Let me tell you basically what religion is and see how different it is from Christ. Religion is basically me coming to God on my terms. I decide, "I like that approach to God, I like that flavor of belief system. I'll do that it kind of fits in with what I want." It's me coming to God on my terms. God will have none of it.  He has spelled out the terms. He has revealed to men what those terms are. He has taken care of the problem which is sin that separates us from God and He has demanded that all men and women come through Christ His son only in repentance and faith or be forever damned. You'd go, "That's harsh.  Really?" All you have to do is believe and trust in the finished work of Christ. How is that hard for you? It was hard for Him.  He is the one that had to sacrifice.  Jesus is the one that had to come.  He had to put up with that pain and God says, "I have eliminated the roadblocks, come and be saved." And whoever believes in him will be saved.

Something else about religious systems and we discover it now and hence the introduction, I won't make this long. In every religious system, there are divisions, right?  There is always in every religion a conservative branch of that religious system and a liberal branch in many branches in between. The conservative or the fundamental group and I unashamedly am a narrow-minded fundamentalist.  I'm proud of that. I don't think narrow-minded in the biblical sense only and if you take the wide sense of the liberal view that there are many ways to God, then you are going to see me as a very narrow-minded fundamentalist. I happen to believe what God said in His word is true, that there is only one true God and not 15, there is only one and there is only one way to God and that's through Christ. That's what I believe. I would be labeled as a fundamentalist. I wore that proudly, I don't mind it.

However, I understand that in my camp, there are those under the conservative name, the fundamental name that can be and have been very abusive and legalistic and turned a lot of people off, but I digress. There is also the liberal side.  Bible is not the word of God, you can't trust it.  Let's just all come up with he god or she god or it god or there maybe a god, let's have a building were we can have potluck dinners and burry people and do wedding and that's Christianity. In Judaism, there were also these divisions. There was on one hand, the narrow fundamental conservative pharisees.  We've dealt with them. And another group on the liberal camp called the Sadducees and that's the group we deal with tonight.

Now, the Sadducees were the polar opposites of the pharisees. The pharisees were radical ritualist and legalist. The Sadducees were rationalist. They did not believe in the resurrection, they did not believe in angels.  They did not believe in sprits.  They did not believe in the Old Testament except the first five books of Moses. They were anti-supernatural.  They were very wealthy aristocratic and happen to have control of the temple for hundreds of years. We better get into the text or we'll be lost.

Verse 23 Matthew 21 -- no 22, pardon me. The same day the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection came to him and ask him saying, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother." Now, there were with us seven brothers.  The first died after he had married having no offspring.  Left his wife to his brother, likewise the second also and the third even to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died also. Do you get this picture? There are seven boys in the family, the eldest marries, he dies, doesn't have children, then all of these brothers marry here, and you go, "Why on earth would they do that?" They're dealing with -- well, first of all, let me back up. The Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection, right?  Remember that? So they are trying to come up with a story to illustrate how ridiculous the idea is of a resurrection.  And here is the story.

Now, they're appealing to a law in the portion of the Bible they believe, the first five books of Moses, the Torah, the Pentateuch, and they are citing a passage in Deuteronomy, which is called the law of levirate marriage. Let me spell that for you, L-E-V-I-R-A-T-E marriage, which says that if a family, a boy has a wife and they don't have children and he dies that to raise up seed for his dead brother, the next brother would provide that service for his dead brother and his surviving wife. "Why was that ever enacted," you're thinking. You're going, "That's kind of weird." It was to preserve that man's name in Israel and to keep the tribal allotments of the land under that name in perpetuity. That's what it was all about, the preservation of the name and the tribes.

This is a story that is ridiculous based upon a law in the Bible, a law by the way that was practiced.  If you want to know if this ever really worked, it did work in the case of Ruth and Boaz.  That's what that was all about. Do you remember the story of Ruth and Boaz? Remember there was a guy named Elimelech with a wife name Naomi and they fell into poverty and so they went across the Dead Sea to Moab and the two boys Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite's women and then the two boys and Ruth came back over with Naomi to the land of Israel. And because they own land, but the husband was dead, the only way to get redemption or to bring the land back under Israel was for a relative, a kins person, a kinsman to marry Ruth and be able to buy the land. Remember, there was a relative who is closer than Boaz.  He said, "I don't want that job.  I'm married.  I've got a family. I'm not going to do it." Boaz was able to do it and he paid for the land and he married Ruth. That's all in Deuteronomy, the law of lavirate marriage.

So these Sadducees and they're really Sadducee.  You can see, you see. They don't believe in the supernatural, don't believe in a resurrection, don't believe in angels, don't believe is spirits, so they're coming up with the story of, "Hey, we have a real problem, to show how ridiculous the idea of a resurrection is." Now, I'll show you why. Last of all, the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection which they don't believe in, whose wife of the seven will she be for they all had her. And Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken --" I love the King James "-- You are ignorant." There are some translations that you just can't improve on and in this section, the King James nails it, "You are ignorant not knowing the scripture nor the power of God for in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. God is not the god of the dead, but of the living."

He says they will be like the angels.  In other words, they will be deathless.  They are immortal. The Sadducees do not believe in angels.  Jesus says, "Well, here is the truth. When people die, they are like the angels.  They are internal.  They have no death."  That's one of the points he is making.

So here is a scripture that has caused many people anxiety, where it says heaven, there is neither marriage nor are people given in marriage. I remember a gall who hated this scripture, hated it. She was so looking forward to being married and she was -- the years were climbing up on her and she so wanted to get married and she was serious with this one guy and she found the scripture and I remember she came to me. I wasn't even married to that point, I was single, but I was in that state and at that time very content, but she said, "I don't like this scripture." She goes, "Probably what's going to happen is the Lord's going to come back and the I won't be married or I'll just get married, just be enjoying my married and then the Lord will comeback and all my happiness is gone." Yeah, that's right.  You are going to heaven forever. Yeah, it kind of blows it all, doesn't it? That was her thinking. She was mad because in heaven, there's neither marriage nor given in marriage.

On the other hand, I've met other people who are quite comforted by the scripture and I always worry when there's a married couple and all they can talk about is, "Man, I can't wait until I get heaven. I can't wait until I get to heaven." Notice first of all, Jesus doesn't say that when people die they become angels after the resurrection. Why am I bringing that up? I'm actually -- I have been surprised at how many people I've run into say, "Well, we know what happens when you die.  You turn into an angel.  You get your wings from some dumb old movie in the past." Worked the belief system by people who never read a page or a scripture. It doesn't say you turn into angels.  You don't.  You become deathless and you become without the need to propagate like you do on earth.  We propagate the earth. There's the need to procreate and so God put that within humanity. In heaven, in eternity, there is no need.  We're eternal beings. That's number one.

Number two.  Jesus is dealing with people who don't believe in angels or a resurrection.  So he is going to prove that there is a resurrection. He is going to shut their mouth and in just a couple of sentences far more than I'm even using, He is going to button their lip to prove to them there is a resurrection. Now, they believe in how many books? Five.  The first five books of Moses. So He is going to quote from one of the books they believe in.  Watch what he does. But concerning the resurrection of the dead -- Verse 31 -- have you not read what was spoken to you by God saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. God is not the god of the dead, but of the living." He is quoting Exodus Chapter 3 Verse 6.  God is speaking to Moses in that passage. At that moment, when God speaks to Moses, Abraham is dead, Isaac is dead, Jacob is dead, all the patriarch are dead. Jesus says, "Have you not read the text carefully where God the Father speaks in the present tense, not the past tense.  He doesn't say, 'I was the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob' but I am present tense the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.'"

See what he is doing? Because God wouldn't speak of people who have had their physical demise hundreds of years pass and speak in the present tense, because when you speak in the present tense and you say, "I am the God of Abraham," it denotes that those people are still alive. There is a present tense relationship with them.  And once a person is dead, you never speak in the present tense.  You speak in the past tense.  God was speaking in the present tense to prove to the pharisees in the scripture they believed in that there is a resurrection. Because God said, I in the presence state have a relationship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the patriarchs, even though they have died long ago. Isn't that brilliant? So watch what happens.

And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. The Sadducees said nothing because they could say nothing. They have no come back at all.  That's a open shot logical case.  And the people went, "Wow! He turned those Sadducees on their ear, put them in their place and a short few sentences." But Verse 34, when the pharisees head that he silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, "Club meeting.  We've got to get together on this one, we're in trouble."

Then one of them, a lawyer -- I will say nothing. I'm looking out and I'm seeing attorneys that I know, so I'm going to say nothing. No, I won't do it. One of them, a lawyer asked him a question, testing him, saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Can I just pause for a moment and let you know something that that lawyer was thinking. He was a lawyer.  He was a religious lawyer and he knew the law, meaning the Law of Moses which was not only religious, but a social law the govern the country. As a lawyer at that time, the Jews believed in not one commandment or two commandments or ten commandments. You know how many they had? 613 commandments, 248 were positive, 365 were negative. It's a lot of commandments to say, "Which is the best to all of them?" As time went on, the Jews corresponded the 248 positive commandments with the 248 portions of the human body and since the calendar change from 360 days per year in the Babylonian calendar to 365 days per year in the Julian calendar, what the Jews will tell is the reason God gave 613 commandments, 248 positive, 365 negative is so that you will worship him with all of your being 248, 365 days of the year. It's a beautiful thought, but it's a bit of a stretch.

So keep in your mind that that was in his mind when he says, "Jesus, as a lawyer I have a question for you.  Which is the greatest of all the commandments?" Now, watch what He says.  Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind or all your soul all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment." If you know anything about Judaism, you know that's the basic affirmation of faith, it's called the Shema, Shema Yisrael. Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God, and this is quoted. That's the heart of it all.  So Jesus says that. And the second is like it -- now, quoting Leviticus 19 Verse 18 -- the second is like, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. What a statement. We've talked about it before. We don't want to elaborate it on now, except to say He has taken all the positive all the negative, the Ten Commandments and all the ones they added and you can sum them up by two things.  Love God with everything in you and love your neighbors as yourself.

If you look at the Ten Commandments, but you don't have to now, but you know what they are.  There are ten of them. The first four superintend your relationship to God.  It's all about what you do in relationship to him.  So they're vertical in their nature, vertical in access.  You're dealing with God in the first four commandments. The second six commandments deal horizontally, person to person, man to man. So summing up the Ten Commandments is, what? Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.  Because you see, if you do that, you won't break any of those Ten Commandments. If you love the Lord your God, you are not going to take his name in vein. If you love the Lord your God, you are going to honor him with at least one day per week if not everyday. You're going to honor him with your very substance, your finances. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you are not covet, you're not going to steal, you're not going to kill because you love. So Jesus apply sums up the entire Old Covenant law by love at the heart. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

If you fast forward to the New Testament, Book of Matthew which we're in, but go back to the Sermon on the Mount which we have, we remember that Jesus takes the law a bit further, does He not? And say, He doesn't just govern what you do, but what you feel, what you think. Not just your action, but your attitude. You'd say, "Skip, how does he do that?" By saying this, you have heard that it was said by those off old, you shall not commit murder. But I say to you, if you hate your brother, you're a murderer. And He takes the law into the very heart of a man and says, "It begins -- sin begins deep within the heart before an action is ever committed."

And the law of God according to Jesus was meant not just to govern your actions, but your attitude. That's why Paul the apostle in the Book of Romans said, "You know, I used to look at the law and I felt pretty good about the law and I was a law keeper until I got to the commandment that says, 'You shall not covet,' and then I though, 'I'm dead meat.'" I'm paraphrasing a little bit. "Because now," Paul said, "I realize that the law is governing something that I'm thinking and feeling."  That's what coveting is.  It's not an out word or over the action. That is not just externa, it's internal.  And he said, "I was slayed by it. I've broken the command.  I've broken the law of God."

While the pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them saying, "What do you think about the Christ that, is the Messiah the Anointed One?" That's what the word means.  What do you think about the Christ, The messiah?  Whose son is he?" They said to him, "Son of David." He said to them, "How then does David and the Spirit call him Lord, saying the Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right had until I make your enemies your footstool?'  If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

Let me quickly explain that.  The most common messianic term for the Jews was and is the son of David. Ask a Jew, "Who is the Messiah?" "The son of David. He is going to come and be the son of David." Now, why would they call the Messiah the son of David? Because God gave David a promise in 2 Samuel Chapter 7 and he said, "Your descendant will sit upon your thrown forever and ever." That's the promise. Now, here is the question.  Who would God be referring to when he says, "Your descendent will sit upon the thrown, your thrown, David, forever and ever." It can't be Solomon. Solomon was his son, but Solomon died and his Kingdom wasn't perpetual. Moreover, when Solomon died, the kingdom split into two with Jeroboam and Rehoboam, the Southern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom. Moreover, those two kingdoms were displaced by foreign powers.  Israel in 722 B.C. by Assyria.  Judah, the two southern tribes in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians.  There was a mixture of the tribe, so today, people can't even tell what tribe they're from.

So, if God made a promise to David that his descendent will sit upon the thrown. It can't be Solomon.  He is dead.  The kingdom was split.  Who could He be referring to? They said it's got to refer to the Messiah. The Messiah will come and unite our nation as the son of David. So they believed -- here is the belief system -- the Messiah will be a human being only, not a divine being, like we know Jesus is, but a human descendant of David. So that's the question.  The Christ, whose son is he? The Son of David. Jesus said, "So you've got a problem, because David himself said in the Spirit --" notice the text verse 44, He is quoting Psalm 110.  Here it is, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.'"

If David and the Spirit called the Messiah his lord, then how can it be David's son? David wouldn't call a mere human descendant of his.  His lord, Adonai is the word. Now, that is a quandary. That's a puzzle that they can't answer.  There is only one answer to it. The reason David called them lord is because that Messiah will be both divine and human. They couldn't their minds around that. But you understand where Jesus is coming from. How then could David call him in the Spirit -- Psalm 110 -- Lord? And no one -- Verse 46 -- love this.  No one was able to answer Him a word nor from that day on did they dare question him anymore. That's wisdom.  You have to have lots of wisdom to shut lots of different arguments and mouths in a quick period of time to get that reaction.

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes.  Now, He is directing the people who are gathered around listening and He said and to his disciple saying, "The scribes and pharisees, they sit in Moses seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to do, observe.  To observe that observe and do, but do not do according to their works for they say and do not do." When He said they sit in Moses seat, he meant when they teach the law of God, they have authority.

Moses seat -- the chair from which they speak, I've told you before the rabbis sat in the message and typically people stood. If we wanted to get really messianic here, I'd have you stand for the whole message and I would be seated, because the chair was the place of authority. Today, the catholic say the Pope speaks exchatedra, from the chair. Professors hold a chair of philosophy at a university.  It's a place of authority. They sit in Moses seat.  They teach with Moses authority.  "Listen to what they teach in as much as they're teaching the scripture, but don't live like they live."  They're high on talk, but they're low on walk. Their creed is good.  Their preaching is good.  Their practice is abominable.  "For they bind heavy burdens hard to bare and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move then with one of their fingers."

Abusive religious system, legalism. Let me give you an example.  Listen to this.  You will find this interesting. If you were to call through the Old Testament law and find out how much the Old Testament says about keeping the Sabbath, you'd find a few paragraphs total, that's it, a few paragraphs about what the Sabbath means and what you don't do and what you should do on the Sabbath. If you go to the Mishnah, the Jewish Mishnah, you'd say, "I don't know what a Mishnah is."  Mishnah was the redacted written form of the oral laws. When they took the oral law and put it into writing, that's the Mishnah.  Twenty-four chapters on keeping the Sabbath. If you then go to the codified commentaries of the Jews called the Talmud, 156 large double folio pages on the Sabbath. Because to them, it wasn't enough and says, "Don't do any work on the Sabbath.  Don't bare a burden on the Sabbath," they would say, but what is a burden? "We've got to get the lawyers and the scribes and the heavyweights together to determine what that means."  And they had a long and drawn out descriptions of what it means to keep or not keep the Sabbath. Because we have to decide if it's okay for you to lift a lamp on the Sabbath, maybe that's a burden, or put a broach on a woman or wear dentures.  This is all part of those writings, I kid you not.

So they said, "A burden is anything more than food enough equal in weight to a dried fig. Milk enough for a single swallow, oil enough to anoint one member of your body. Two -- or inked enough that would write two letters on a piece of paper.  If you do that or exceed that, you're baring a burden, you're breaking the Sabbath."  They even would argue endlessly over these things and there's even this large section in these writings I'm telling you about, about what do we do if you have a hen that lays an egg on the Sabbath. "Oh men, that just so heavy.  I've got a huge problem.  I made a big deal out of it." If you're a Jewish, you can't break the Sabbath, but you have a hen and your hen has laid an egg on the Sabbath. Now, if you were to do that and you can't, that would be considered work. So your hand has worked on the Sabbath. You can't eat that egg, but you don't want to lose the profit from that egg. So what do we do? And you know what their solution was.  Sell it to a Gentile. You'll recoup the loss, they'll enjoy the egg, they're not under the law, they're not part of God's covenant, you solve your problem.

Now, do you understand what Jesus means when He says, "You bind heavy burdens hard to bare and you lay them on men's shoulders." Now, he is just getting warmed up.  But all their works they do to be seen by man, they make their phylacteries broad and they enlarge the boarders of their garments, they love the best seats at the feast, the best seats at the synagogs, greetings in the marketplace to be called by man "rabbi" which means great one, rabbi, rabbi. Do you see the word phylacteries? I bet some of you have read that and you said, "There is a weird word here. I don't even know how to pronounce it and I certainly don't know what it means."

A phylactery is a wooden box covered with leather. Really, it's a leather box, but it can wood covered with leather. It's about big. Jewish men tie these wooden boxes on their forehead and on their left arm just above the elbow when they pray. You'd go, "Why do they do that?" Because inside those boxes are passages of scripture, two passages from the Book of Exodus, two passages from the Book of Deuteronomy. They tie these passages, the law, on their head and on their arm when they pray. Those are phylacteries. You'd go, "Well, why do they tie boxes on their arms when they pray with scriptures inside?" Because they over literalized some of their own writings.

Now, you don't have to turn there. If you want to make a note of it, I'll tell you where I'm reading from. Exodus Chapter 13. Let me just read it to you. He's talking about keeping the day of unleavened bread. "Unleavened bread --" Verse 7, "-- shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen among you. Unleavened breed shall not be seen among you and all your quarters." And then it says, "You shall tell your son in that day saying, 'This is done because of what the Lord for me when I came up out of Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand as a memorial between your eyes that the Lord's law may be in your mouth for with the strong hand, the Lord brought you out of Egypt."

So they have read the scripture and in my opinion, over literalized it and said, "God must mean that he wants us to make little boxes to put the scripture inside the box, so it's right in front of me. I can see it. It's the very pinnacle of my body, my head and on my arm," because it says arm. The reason I have a problem with that and say that it's over literalizing it because they left out a part of the verse that I just read. It says, "That the Lord's law may be in your mouth." I see none of them chewing on a little parchment of scripture or having a little box in their mouth, because that's not the meaning of the text. The meaning of the text is simply that you handle it, that you think about it and that you speak about it. That's the idea and it's a part of your very being. It's a part of your very fiber. The law is to be what governs you. It's to be before you continually. It's the most important part that you adhere your lifestyle to the commandments of God. That's what it means.

Some of the pharisees would make their boxes bigger, because the bigger the box, the more you notice the box. I mean, if you saw a man today from the whaling wall here on this platform at Calvary of Albuquerque, you'd go, "What's up with the dude with the box on his head?" And then you go to Israel and you'd say, "Oh, tere are thousands of them with boxes on their heads and on their arms." But if you see somebody with a little bigger box, then you're going to think, "That guy might be a little more spiritual than that guy. He has a bigger box on his head." They would make their phylacteries broad. They would make them bigger so you would notice them. That's what Jesus was referring to.  And He says, "Enlarge the borders of their garments." Did you know that the Jewish male wear a fringe on the bottom of his robes called tzitzit? That's the Hebrew word, tassels, tzitzit. And the tzitzit, the tassels were at the border of the garment and the Lord said in Numbers, "Weave a blue thread into those tassels," which presumably spoke of heaven to show that you're God's people to be set apart for heavenly spiritual things.  But if you're really spiritual, perhaps you'll have a little bit longer tassel than the other guy.

Now, Jesus isn't down on phylacteries per se or tassel per se. After all, it's my opinion that Jesus wore those tassels. Matthew 9 talks about the woman touching the hem of his garment. It's that word. It's that tassel she was trying to grab what the Jewish male wore at the bottom of his garment, that tzitzit. She was trying to grab and say, "I'll be healed." But the point is, they were focusing on the boxes and the tassels -- that is the externals and not the heart. It's what he's always after, right? Always the heart, always the inside, not the religious ritualistic observances. They love the best seats at the feast, best seats in the synagogue and the synagogues in front of a box called the arc where the Torah scrolls were was a bench that faces the congregation. Those were the noble seats. That's what they said.  And He says, "Greeting in the market places." Certain titles feed our ego and intimidate other people. If we met for the first time and I said -- you introduce yourself and I said, "Well, my name is Skip."

I've given you my first name, but if I say, "My name is Doctor, Reverent, Most Holy Reverent Skip." Which is oxymoron? Doesn't it sound that way? Immediately, I said my ego I've intimidated you. The point Jesus will make and I should just let Him make it is that in the Body of Christ, there is a brotherhood, a sisterhood and no one should have divisions that bring anyone else higher or lower. We're all at the same level at the cross, but they love to have their ego instead, rabbi. When people call me reverent, I will often correct them gently, but I'll say, "I appreciate that, but I am no reverent." "You're not? I heard you were a pastor reverent." I go, "No, I'm not a reverent."  And here's the reason. In this scripture, there is only one time the word reverent is used and it's used for God alone. I don't like to take anything that is reserved for God to myself. If there is to be a proper title for me, is a slave. I'm a slave. I'm a servant. Paul and Timothy, slaves of Jesus Christ. I serve Him and I serve you, the Body of Christ, for His sake, my King.  No doctor, no reverent, no holy father -- slave.

Verse 8, "You shall not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. But Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites for you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, for you neither go in yourselves--" ouch. In other words, you're not going to heaven, "Nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you scribes, pharisees, hypocrites for you devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers.  Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites for you travel land and sea to win one proselyter convert and when he is one, you make him twice as much as son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you blind guides who say whoever swears by the temple that is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it, fools, blind for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold."

Now, if you can believe it, they divided those up in two camps, binding obligatory and non-obligatory. If you were to swear by the temple, they didn't have to keep it. If you swore by the gold of the temple, you have to keep it. If you swore by the empty altar, they didn't have to keep it, non-obligatory. If you swore by that which is on the altar, the ornateness of it, it's obligatory. The point Jesus is making is you love gold more than you love God, because you have taken and made up a commandment, but the value system that is embedded in your commandment reveals your heart. Verse 18, "And whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obliged to perform it. Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore, he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites. For you paid tithe of mint and anise and cumin and have neglected the way to your matters of the law, justice, mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone."

Real quickly, those aromatic spices that are mentioned were very common, but the law in the Old Testament, they governed the tides of your produce. You know, you had to give a tithe of your grain and a tithe of your oil. The laws in the Old Testament that governed the tightening of your produce were never intended to govern those small aromatic spices and yet, get this, some of these pharisees were so meticulous.

History tells us, they would count the tiny little cumin seeds one by one to make sure they've given a tenth to the Lord. Now, Jesus isn't saying that's the issue. That isn't the issue. If I might paraphrase it, Jesus would say, "Cool, I applaud your exactness, but in your exactness, you've left out the most important parts and that is justice and mercy and faith. You should tithe. You should be responsible and worship God with your substance, but don't leave out the important stuff." That's His point. "Blind guides --" Verse 24, "-- Who strain a net and swallow a camel." I'm glad you laughed. That means you're getting the sense of the text, because I know that when Jesus said this, the crowds started laughing like crazy. That was a joke, because the net is the smallest of the unclean animals in the old covenant. The camel is the largest of the unclean animals and some of these religious nut cases would actually take their beverages and they would strain them through cloth, because they didn't want to get a net and defile their mouth. So Jesus said, "You straight out a net, at the same time you're swallowing a camel," because it's all about externals and nit picky legalism. You left out the real heart of the law.

"Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside, they're full of extorsion and self indulgence." Blind pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup and dish that the outside of them may be clean. Who would want to drink from a nice dish on the outside and you look inside, it's all gnarly. You wouldn't drink from it. The inside is filthy. They're all about the externals.

"Woe to scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are inside, full of dead man's bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside, you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." If you and I were to live 2,000 years ago and be on the roads that would trickle into Jerusalem on the Passover or Pentecost or any of the great feasts, you would notice that the roads have been newly redone to ease our travel that the tombs by the sides of the road have been painted white, brilliant white, not just to look pretty, but to keep you and I eye from touching them accidentally because we would be ceremonially defiled. They paint them white to say, "Look, don't come near this. You can see this, can't you? It's white enough that anybody could see this." So it would keep away ceremonially -- a ceremonial defilement, but you know what the picture is, right? You get that. You look good on the outside, inside, you're full of death and decay.  That's the point, like a tomb.

"Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  Therefore, you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of your father's guilt, serpents, brood of vipers. How can you escape the condemnation of hell?'"

Now, just let that soak in for a moment, shall we? Do you know who is speaking here? Incarnate love is speaking. Can incarnate love say such horrible, ghastly things? Absolutely, because they happen to be true and telling the truth is one of the most loving things you could ever do to a person. Easiest thing to do to a person is, "Dude, you're awesome. We just think you're the best." When inside, you go, "You're a creep." Faithful are the wounds of a friend, right? To put your heart and your reputation at stake by doing this, that's love. Now, there is a misconception and I want to nail this here before we quickly move on and close.

There's a popular concept of Jesus -- that is not the biblical Jesus. It is the Jesus the Great Reformer.  The guy who smiles at everything and would embrace any belief system at any practice at all and go, "Oh, well, it doesn't matter because I'm Jesus and everything's cool." The mild, meek reformer who lets anybody do whatever they want to because Jesus is all about love and I can just say, "Really? If you think that you've never been a parent, because I remember spanking my son and I bet you spank your kids and I remember and you remember them saying, "You don't love me." "Why would you say that?" "Because you hit me, you spanked me." "No, it's because I love you that I did."

This is incarnate love speaking and it's harsh and it happens to be true. Jesus is pointing out that spiritually, they are done. They are doomed for eternal hell, because their hearts are so hardened. They have not repented. They could turn, but they won't. Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, scribes, some of them you'd kill and crucify. Some of them, you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city that on you may come all the righteous blood on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." This is not the Zechariah, the prophet in the Minor Prophets. This is Zechariah, the son of Barachiah in 2 Chronicles 24 which happens to be the last book in the Hebrew, Old Testament.

Assuredly, I'd say to you all these things will come upon this generation. "Oh, what things?" Well, let's just get a little context here. He just cursed the fig tree, right? We saw that was a picture of the Nation of Israel. He'd been rejected. He's rejecting them nationally. He is just predicted in parable form that their city, the City of Jerusalem will be burned by fire, if you just go back a few verses to Verse 7 of Chapter 22. Look at that really quick.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious and he sent out armies to, destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. That's the parable. And now, he says, "All these things are going to happen to this generation, all these things that I predicted, by cursing the fig tree, by giving you the parable. They're going to happen to this generation." Now, He's going to be very explicit.

Now, comes some of the most moving portion of the scripture to be found anywhere as Jesus laments Christ over the city, Verse 37, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her.  How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate." These are powerful words. They tell us first of all of the patience of God. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I wanted to gather you." They tell us of the pleading of Jesus. "I wanted to gather you like a hen gathers her children under her wings. I wanted so to nourish and protect you as the son of David as your Messiah," but it also tells us the power of choice. You are not willing. That to me is one of the one worst verses in the Bible, because it brings out one of the gravest, worst truce in the Bible. You were not willing.  It's as if He's saying, "I am the doctor with the cure to your disease and you were about to die forever and you won't take the cure. You were not willing. See, your house has left you desolate for I say to you. You shall see me no more until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

This has been a sovereign chapter and I don't know how to really change it by adding little stories and jokes and making light of it. It's meant to be powerful. Imagine how it sounded in its original form as Jesus address this crowd. I think people walked away going, "Whoa! I've never had a temple service like that before. That was weird."

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem."  What Jesus saw as He wept over that city happened. I wonder if God today wouldn't be looking over America saying, "America, America, how often I wanted to gather you, but you were not willing." Billy Graham used to say, "If God does not judge America, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah a deep apology." "America, America."  Our founding fathers wanted one nation under God with the constitution written to ensure our freedom of worship, not freedom from worship. However, in modern times, politicians and revisionists have pushed God far out, pushed Him far away. And honestly, and I say this not just because it could be a powerful statement, but I mean this sincerely. It could perhaps be too late for America. I personally believe we're not facing the judgment of God. We're under the judgment of God. There's a big difference.

We're now experiencing as a nation, I believe, the judgment of God, because according to Romans I, the first step in God judging a person or a nation is that He gives them over to what they ask for. When they start asking for it and persisting and not wanting to retain God in their knowledge, but push God out of their thinking -- Romans I -- God gives them over a reprobate mind do anything they want to do and file any law they want to file including killing millions and millions of innocent children and upholding any union, civil union you want in the name of tolerance. God gives them over and it could be that it is too late. One of the stark realities if you were a prophecy student, any prophecy student knows that the Bible has a lot to say about nations of the world like China, Iran. We know the future of Russia. We know the future of Egypt, Germany, Turkey, Israel. Prophecy Buff know that the United States is eerily absent from Bible prophecy and they wonder, "I was going to ask that question. What does that mean?" My answer is, I don't know. It could mean that we don't exist to any degree of importance at all by the time it all comes down, that we just completely sellout and we're overturned and we're not what we once were and in my opinion heading that road. The other possibility -- just to close it off because we're two minutes over and I will close -- the other possibility is that there comes such an outpouring of mercy and there's such a widespread revival and repentance that we're not part of that in-time judgment scenario. I hope it's number two. I pray and I labored day and night for number two. It's what I'm all about.  But I fear that God is giving our nation over.

So are you committed as I am that the rest of the breaths that you breathe as a believer will be to get in herald the best message out to this world who is facing the same judgment that these religious leaders were facing and bringing to hell with them millions and millions of other people and there's only one hope for that, and that's Jesus. If Jesus wouldn't have come, He wouldn't have died. He wouldn't have risen from the dead to give us hope. It's a dire message in these chapters. We are living in dire times. I look at it simply. Every -- I'll stop right there. We're overtime. Okay, I'll say it. Every subset of our society is encouraged to come out of the closet and be themselves and say who they are. Be vocal about who they are. People should accept you for who you are. So I'm just saying it's time for Christians to come out of the closet and not be ashamed of saying, "I love Jesus." You got a problem with that? You don't like that? I don't really care if you like that or not. I'd rather please God and not be a man pleaser. If you bow before God, you can stand before any human being. If you don't bow before God, you will be like the waves tossed to and fro and scared of everything.

You can be bold, but stay low to the ground. Stay humble before your God and be bold.

Father in heaven, tough, straightforward words directed by the words of Jesus, I have sought to uncover and unpack what Jesus himself said. I'm not trying to overstep my boundaries and expositor. If I have, please adjust and forgive that.  But, Father, in keeping with Your word, we pray now for an outpouring of Your Spirit on our nation, upon our community and our lives that we would be whom You want us to be.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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9/7/2011
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Matthew 1:1-18
Matthew 1:1-18
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As we turn our attention to the New Testament, Pastor Skip explains what transpired during the 400 years of silence since the Old Testament. Our firm grasp of the political setting, language, and Matthew's purpose and perspective establishes a solid foundation for understanding his gospel. In Matthew 1, we see Jesus revealed as the royal Heir to the throne of David—the Messiah, Immanuel: God with us.
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9/14/2011
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Matthew 1:18-2:23
Matthew 1:18-2:23
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Every year people around the world recognize the birth of a poor Jewish child born in an insignificant city. The birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, beckons us to worship and obey the King of the Jews. Let's examine Matthew's account of the miraculous circumstances of the nativity and the prophecies it fulfilled.
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9/21/2011
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Matthew 3
Matthew 3
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Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man among those born of women. John saw himself in the light of who Jesus is: not even worthy to loose His sandal. From the womb, he was filled with the Spirit, continually pointing people to Christ. Let's consider this powerful prophet, his ministry, and the message he preached.
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9/28/2011
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Matthew 4:1-17
Matthew 4:1-17
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Prior to the start of Jesus' public earthly ministry, He was led up to be tempted by the devil. As we review His encounter with Satan, we uncover important principles of spiritual warfare. We consider not only when and how Jesus was tempted, but also how He fought—and the ministry that began on the heels of the battle.
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10/5/2011
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Matthew 4:18-5:4
Matthew 4:18-5:4
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Leaving life as they knew it, the disciples followed Jesus and became intimate witnesses of Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing. As we dive into this portion of Matthew, we turn our attention to their calling and listen in as Jesus begins the greatest sermon ever preached.
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10/19/2011
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Matthew 5:5-16
Matthew 5:5-16
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The economy in God's Kingdom is quite different from that of the world: it's paradoxical; it's progressive. Let's consider the Beatitudes and discover what kingdom living looks like, and how it impacts those around us.
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10/26/2011
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Matthew 5:17-32
Matthew 5:17-32
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The multitudes listening to Jesus teach were undoubtedly shaken by His powerful statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). How, then, could one be saved? As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we remember that salvation is not available through human achievement--only by divine accomplishment.
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11/2/2011
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Matthew 5:33-6:8
Matthew 5:33-6:8
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As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we'll grow in our understanding of the contrasts between the world and the kingdom of heaven. Followers of Jesus are called to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees—a righteousness based on our genuine relationship with Christ, rather than mere outward obedience.
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11/9/2011
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Matthew 6:9-34
Matthew 6:9-34
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Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we learn that when we make God's kingdom our focus, He provides everything we need.
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11/16/2011
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Matthew 7
Matthew 7
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Jesus calls His followers to live differently from the world -- to live a kingdom lifestyle. In this study from the Sermon on the Mount, we consider what kingdom living looks like in both our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
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12/7/2011
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Matthew 8:1-26
Matthew 8:1-26
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Throughout his gospel account, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah. Building upon the foundation of fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' identity is authenticated by miraculous signs. As we examine Matthew chapter eight, let's consider the compassion and grace Jesus demonstrates.
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1/18/2012
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Matthew 8:23-9:9
Matthew 8:23-9:9
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Matthew carefully crafted his gospel to speak directly to the hearts of his Jewish audience. Through his detailed record of Jesus' genealogy, fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' actions, instructions, and miracles, Matthew proves that Jesus is Messiah. Let's take a close look at several of those miracles, and gain a firm grasp of His Deity.
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1/25/2012
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Matthew 9:10-31
Matthew 9:10-31
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To the Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners were part of a lower, unpleasant class. But Jesus longed for fellowship with all people. He shared intimate meals with them, ministered to their needs, and reached out to the unlovely. As we study this passage in Matthew 9, we learn how we are also called to be heralds of the good news that brings spiritual health and enduring joy.
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2/1/2012
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Matthew 9:32-10:31
Matthew 9:32-10:31
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The Lord calls His followers to proclaim His message to the world—we are appointed to carry out a divine purpose. We learn in this study that we, like the apostles, find abundant life only in letting go of our own ambitions, plans, and comfort.
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2/8/2012
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Matthew 10:32-11:19
Matthew 10:32-11:19
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In His second major discourse of Matthew, Jesus equips and instructs His apostles about going into the world and reaping the spiritual harvest. In this passage, Jesus expounds on the courage needed to complete the mission and warns His followers of certain persecution. He reminds us that while not all who hear will believe, God's wisdom is powerfully demonstrated in changed lives.
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2/15/2012
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Matthew 11:16-30
Matthew 11:16-30
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In order to truly worship God, you must know Him. Speaking clearly and openly in this passage, Jesus proclaims some of His strongest warnings and makes some of His most intimate promises. He reveals the Father to His followers and assures us that life lived under His rule yields peace and rest.
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2/22/2012
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Matthew 12:1-21
Matthew 12:1-21
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Though God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath became difficult work by New Testament times. The oral traditions of the Pharisees had become weighty burdens-burdens the Lord did not mean for His people to bear. In this passage, Jesus demonstrates mercy and the true intent of the Sabbath as He and His disciples meet physical needs in the face of strong opposition.
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2/29/2012
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Matthew 12:22-42
Matthew 12:22-42
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Though our current culture embraces a form of spirituality, the biblical view of God, Satan, and good versus evil has been dismissed by most. Ignorance and indifference cause them to relegate Satan to the stuff of fairy tales and myth. In this study from Matthew 12, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the devil and his minions--giving us a glimpse into the supernatural and a reminder that, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
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3/7/2012
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Matthew 12:43-13:17
Matthew 12:43-13:17
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Jesus consistently brought His message of hope to the common man: He spoke in parables to bring revelation to His followers and to conceal heavenly truth from the hard-hearted. In this message, we examine parables of our Master Teacher and Holy Judge, and discover that truth can be a blessing, but also a curse--we must be diligent to understand and apply God's Word to our lives.
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3/14/2012
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Matthew 13:18-52
Matthew 13:18-52
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Jesus often used parables to explain spiritual truth to His followers. In Matthew 13, His seven kingdom parables are recorded--word pictures which explain the beginning, opposition, expansion, and culmination of His kingdom. Let's consider His teachings and apply these lessons, so that we may be fellow workers with Him in spreading the good news.
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3/21/2012
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Matthew 13:53-14:36
Matthew 13:53-14:36
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In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, we see powerful examples of the results of both faith and the lack of it. Those who might have known Jesus best failed to trust in Him and missed out on His work in their lives, while others were carried through the storm in His care. As we consider our own trials, we should rest in His hands, knowing He has power to change us and use our lives for His glory.
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3/28/2012
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Matthew 15
Matthew 15
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God is less concerned with the outward appearance than He is with the inward attitude. In this passage, Jesus boldly proclaims truth in a confrontation with the Pharisees, warning his followers to avoid hypocrisy. We also witness His tender response to the persistent faith of a Gentile woman, and His mercy for the multitudes. As we study Matthew 15, let's consider our own approach to Him: Do we recognize that we cannot live without Him?
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4/11/2012
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Matthew 16:1-20
Matthew 16:1-20
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Through stern rebuke, gentle prodding, and powerful teaching, Jesus instructs those around Him about who He is and how we can know and serve Him. Matthew 16 records several lessons in faith - warnings and wisdom which encourage us in our own spiritual journey.
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4/25/2012
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Matthew 16:21-17:27
Matthew 16:21-17:27
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Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. From this passage, we gain a clearer understanding of what it means to exalt Him as King in our lives and also get a preview of His future glory, when He will reign over all the earth.
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5/2/2012
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Matthew 18
Matthew 18
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How should sin be dealt with? As we examine Matthew 18, we learn not only to deal radically with sin in our own lives, but also the steps toward reconciliation with a sinning brother.
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6/13/2012
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Matthew 19
Matthew 19
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In the U.S., the lifestyle of Christians often mirrors that of unbelievers--divorce, self-indulgence, misaligned priorities. Using God's Word to teach lessons about divorce and eternal life, Jesus exhorts his followers to enter the kingdom of heaven--to live in wholehearted faith and obedience to the Him. Let's consider what Scripture says about godly living and the reward Jesus promises to His faithful followers.
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6/20/2012
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Matthew 20
Matthew 20
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As followers of Christ, what awaits us in eternity? In this study, we consider not only our eternal home but also our eternal reward. Saved by grace through faith, we must see beyond the circumstances and status of this world, and look toward our future glory.
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7/11/2012
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Matthew 21:1-32
Matthew 21:1-32
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In this intriguing passage, Jesus enters Jerusalem in a precise fulfillment of prophecy. It's an exciting study, where those who know they need forgiveness find refreshment and hope—and those who rely on their own righteousness receive a stern rebuke.
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7/18/2012
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Matthew 21:33-22:22
Matthew 21:33-22:22
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Jesus taught with complete authority, denouncing the misconceptions of the religious leaders of the day. With skill and precision, Jesus uses parables and their own words to silence their challenges and expose their motives. Let's consider His words, heed His warnings, and remember that He alone is righteous and worthy of praise.
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8/1/2012
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Matthew 24:1-30
Matthew 24:1-30
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In this passage—the Olivet Discourse— Jesus provides a summary of end time events: the future of the world. We look forward to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus, but those found outside of Christ face unparalleled suffering and judgment. Let's contemplate the wrath of God that's in store for this world—and share the hope of the gospel with those who don't yet know Him.
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8/8/2012
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Matthew 24:31-25:46
Matthew 24:31-25:46
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In this section of the Olivet Discourse, we consider Jesus' Warning Parables. As we examine the text, let's remember that while the church escapes judgment, many are left to suffer the Great Tribulation. We must be righteous, be ready, and be responsible.
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8/15/2012
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Matthew 26:1-30
Matthew 26:1-30
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As Jesus gathered with His disciples to observe the Passover one last time, He brought fresh meaning to a festival which had been celebrated for thousands of years. Rather than a memorial to their physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the meal represents His broken body and shed blood—and spiritual deliverance from sin for those who believe.
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8/22/2012
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Matthew 26:31-75
Matthew 26:31-75
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Following the Last Supper, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and willingly surrendered Himself to the will of the Father: Jesus was crushed for our sin, abandoned to the Cross, so that we might have fellowship with Him. As we study Matthew 26, we consider the spiritual battle before us, the choices we make, and the ultimate victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.
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8/29/2012
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Matthew 27:1-50
Matthew 27:1-50
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In this message, we see the ultimate demonstration of God's love—the cross. Jesus, the King of the Jews, was betrayed, falsely accused, illegally tried, scourged, and ultimately crucified. As we consider the details of His crucifixion and death, how could we be anything except amazed and humbled?
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9/19/2012
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Matthew 27:50-66
Matthew 27:50-66
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
As He hung on the cross, betrayed by his friends and separated from His Father, Jesus declared "It is finished!" Victorious, not defeated—He completed the work the Father gave Him to do. In that dark hour, the grave gave up some of her dead, the earth quaked, and in the temple, the curtain that separated men from God was torn from top to bottom. As we study this text, let's consider the price Jesus paid to redeem us and the personal, intimate fellowship with God now available.
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9/26/2012
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Matthew 28
Matthew 28
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
Jesus' resurrection: great news for His disciples—troubling news to his enemies. As the chief priests grappled with a cover up, the disciples met with the risen Lord and were commissioned to "Go and make disciples of all the nations." As we consider our text, we discover the good news for ourselves: Jesus is not dead—He's alive and has all authority in heaven and earth.
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There are 36 additional messages in this series.
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