Matt 27 is the climax of the clash between the Pharisees and Sadducees, on the one hand, and Jesus on the other. This climax includes the death and burial of Christ, but today we stressed the rest of the story. They are still eager to accuse Jesus (cf. v.12-14), they have envy coming out of their evil hearts (v.18) as even Pilate can see, and they view Jesus as the antichrist before and after His death (v.42-43 and 63-64). They need Jesus and so do you. He saw to the work of covering sins with His death. And His Spirit can transform you from envying others to having good intentions and a good will toward others, and from eagerness to accuse others to a deep self-examination, and to see Jesus as the Christ.

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Labels: envy, heart, Matthew, Pharisees, Pilate, Sadducees

Matt 27 is the climax of the clash between the Pharisees and Sadducees, on the one hand, and Jesus on the other. This climax includes the death and burial of Christ, but today we stressed the rest of the story. They are still eager to accuse Jesus (cf. v.12-14), they have envy coming out of their evil hearts (v.18) as even Pilate can see, and they view Jesus as the antichrist before and after His death (v.42-43 and 63-64). They need Jesus and so do you. He saw to the work of covering sins with His death. And His Spirit can transform you from envying others to having good intentions and a good will toward others, and from eagerness to accuse others to a deep self-examination, and to see Jesus as the Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: antichrist, death, envy, heart, Matthew, Pharisees, Pilate, Sadducees

Matthew 23 contains the seven woes Jesus pronounces upon the scribes and the Pharisees and his lament over Jerusalem. These warnings really were reminders to the leaders of the early church of what it means to be a servant of the kingdom of heaven. The sermon divides the text into sections and then attempts to explain the section, look at how it points us to Jesus, and then how we might apply it. Whether you are a scribe or other leader in the church or not, if you follow Jesus you need to remember to point people to Jesus.

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Labels: christ, lament, Matthew, Pharisees, shema, warning, woe

Matthew 23 contains the seven woes Jesus pronounces upon the scribes and the Pharisees and his lament over Jerusalem. These warnings really were reminders to the leaders of the early church of what it means to be a servant of the kingdom of heaven. The sermon divides the text into sections and then attempts to explain the section, look at how it points us to Jesus, and then how we might apply it. Whether you are a scribe or other leader in the church or not, if you follow Jesus you need to remember to point people to Jesus Christ.

Click here or title to listen.

Labels: christ, lament, Matthew, Pharisees, warning, woe

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.

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Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, marriage, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.


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Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

Matthew 19:1-12 includes the two trick questions the Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce. These are trick questions because they want Jesus to denounce the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Instead, Jesus challenged the Pharisees who interpreted the law in order to empty it of all meaning and replace it with their own commandments and traditions. The Pharisees, like you, need Jesus. Christ was single (a figurative eunuch for the sake of the kingdom) during this life because the resurrection began His wedding feast. Jesus sent the Spirit to purify you, the church, as His spotless bride. Now we can begin to discuss marriage, divorce, and singleness.

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Labels: christ, divorce, eunuchs, marriage, Matthew, Pharisees, spirit

Matthew 19:1-12 includes the two trick questions the Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce. These are trick questions because they want Jesus to denounce the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Instead, Jesus challenged the Pharisees who interpreted the law in order to empty it of all meaning and replace it with their own commandments and traditions. The Pharisees, like you, need Jesus. Christ was single (a figurative eunuch for the sake of the kingdom) during this life because the resurrection began His wedding feast. Jesus sent the Spirit to purify you, the church, as His spotless bride. Now we can begin to discuss marriage, divorce, and singleness.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: christ, divorce, eunuchs, marriage, Matthew, Pharisees, spirit

Matthew 15:1-16:12 shows us how Jesus' teaching is the exact opposite of the Pharisees' teaching. Jesus fulfills the word/law of God. The Pharisees make void the word of God because they have elevated the tradition of the elders to the same level as the word of God. Jesus seeks change from the inside out -- from the heart to the mouth. The Pharisees are concerned with outward conformity -- ceremonial washings. Jesus can interpret the signs of the times (his miracles). The Pharisees can interpret the signs of the sky for the weather. The danger is that the Pharisees' teachings if they get a foothold in the church would spread to the whole like leaven works in dough. And this is easy to fall into since we often respond to Pharisees by becoming Pharisees.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: heart, Matthew, Pharisees, signs, tradition

Matthew 15:1-16:12 shows us how Jesus' teaching is the exact opposite of the Pharisees' teaching. Jesus fulfills the word/law of God. The Pharisees make void the word of God because they have elevated the tradition of the elders to the same level as the word of God. Jesus seeks change from the inside out -- from the heart to the mouth. The Pharisees are concerned with outward conformity -- ceremonial washings. Jesus can interpret the signs of the times (his miracles). The Pharisees can interpret the signs of the sky for the weather. The danger is that the Pharisees' teachings if they get a foothold in the church would spread to the whole like leaven works in dough. And this is easy to fall into since we often respond to Pharisees by becoming Pharisees.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: heart, Matthew, Pharisees, signs, tradition

In our first of several sermons on the clash between the Pharisees and Jesus, Matthew 12 shows us the god and idol of the religious, the heart of the religious, and the attitudes and actions of the religious. Religion here means the opposite of grace -- salvation through works. The religious, from evil hearts, worship Satan as their god using the idol of rules. As a result it is no surprise that their actions (especially their words) and attitudes are evil. They look for a way to accuse Jesus, they are judgmental, compare themselves to others defensively, and defensively assert their own righteousness instead of resting in Christ's righteousness. The religious way to avoid Jesus is to attempt to avoid sin. But the only way of salvation is Jesus Christ.

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Labels: christ, grace, heart, idolatry, idols, judge, Matthew, Pharisees, sacrifices, satan, worship

In our first of several sermons on the clash between the Pharisees and Jesus, Matthew 12 shows us the god and idol of the religious, the heart of the religious, and the attitudes and actions of the religious. Religion here means the opposite of grace -- salvation through works. The religious, from evil hearts, worship Satan as their god using the idol of rules. As a result it is no surprise that their actions (especially their words) and attitudes are evil. They look for a way to accuse Jesus, they are judgmental, compare themselves to others defensively, and defensively assert their own righteousness instead of resting in Christ's righteousness. The religious way to avoid Jesus is to attempt to avoid sin. But the only way of salvation is Jesus Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: christ, grace, heart, idolatry, idols, judge, Matthew, Pharisees, righteousness, salvation, satan