Matthew 27:32-54 shows us the third temptation again but now on the lips of the seed of Satan: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." It was a temptation of "save yourself." We too are often tempted to try to save ourselves rather than to depend on the salvation Christ accomplished. The Judas method was to try to fix it himself by offering his own blood for atonement. The Pilate method was to wash his hands of it and pass the blame onto others. Neither way works. Your blood, sweat and tears cannot save you. You cannot save yourself or ignore your sins and thereby make everything ok. Depend on God for grace and salvation.

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Labels: atonement, christ, cross, death, Judas, Pilate, salvation, temptation

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: 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