Ezekiel 35:1-36:15 afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted to keep the people of God on the straight and narrow path of Jesus Christ. Here God speaks to the mountains (Mount Seir and the mountains of Israel), representing two different groups of people, a message that points to the final destination of those two groups of people. For one, represented by Esau or Edom, the final destination is a deserted desert. For the other group, represented by the mountains of Israel the destination is the fruitful and full of the faithful new heavens and earth. The passage has two major purposes. First, it serves as a warning for those who may seem like a brother for a time but ultimately prove through their actions, attitude, and words that they are not. And second, it comforts afflicted sinners. Christians should not be comfortable in their sins, their sins should make them upset and troubled (even afflicted), but then the comfort of the gospel message of forgiveness applies. This is good news.

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Labels: edom, envy, esau, ezekiel, new creation, warning

Ezekiel 35:1-36:15 afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted to keep the people of God on the straight and narrow path of Jesus Christ. Here God speaks to the mountains (Mount Seir and the mountains of Israel), representing two different groups of people, a message that points to the final destination of those two groups of people. For one, represented by Esau or Edom, the final destination is a deserted desert. For the other group, represented by the mountains of Israel the destination is the fruitful and full of the faithful new heavens and earth. The passage has two major purposes. First, it serves as a warning for those who may seem like a brother for a time but ultimately prove through their actions, attitude, and words that they are not. And second, it comforts afflicted sinners. Christians should not be comfortable in their sins, their sins should make them upset and troubled (even afflicted), but then the comfort of the gospel message of forgiveness applies. This is good news.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: edom, envy, esau, ezekiel, new creation, warning

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