Is. 49:6–7 I’ll also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Kings will see & arise, Princes will also bow down. The scribes & Pharisees postured as those very messengers—God’s agents summoning the nations into covenant blessing through the coming Messianic King & […]
Matthew 23:13 Woe to the Gatekeepers Outside the Gate to the Kingdom
They claimed to be guides into God’s Kingdom — but they were standing on the outside, slamming the gate shut on those who would enter. The hypocrisy of Israel’s false shepherds was undeniable — men who didn’t love the people, didn’t know the way, and yet presumed to speak for God. Jesus’ first woe in […]
Matthew 23:13-36 The Covenantal Implications of the Seven Woes
We hear it all the time from warmongering politicians: “God will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel.” They say it with conviction—rarely with context—and insist it’s self-evident, even axiomatic. But what if I told you that Jesus cursed Israel? Cursed them to the point that He took the Kingdom from […]
Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Marriage Feast
The chief priests and elders of the people attempted to intimidate Jesus after the triumphal entry and the clearing of the temple. Let’s just say it did not work…. like at all. In response Jesus gave three parables that progressively indicted the Jews as a whole, and the religious leaders in particular for their rebellion […]
Matthew 19:30-20:16 Laborers in the Vineyard-Part Two- The Explanation
Last week Pastor Matt explained the particular elements of the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. He did not explain what Matthew intended to convey. What is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven/The Vineyard? Who do these early morning laborers and late day laborers who receive just as much as the early morning laborers […]
Matthew 19:23-26 Are Riches a Hindrance to Entering the Kingdom of Heaven?
Jesus told the disciples that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Does it then follow that it is more difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom than it is for a poor man? Listen […]
Matthew 19:13-15 Do Not Hinder the Little Children
Immediately after Jesus affirms the propriety of some men choosing a life of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, we find a story that emphasizes the importance of children to the expansion of the Kingdom. Listen as Pastor Matt explores how this text fits in the flow of chapter 19 and calls […]
Matthew 13:33 The Parable of the Leaven
The Parable of the Leaven takes us a step farther than the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Not only will the Kingdom of Heaven grow; it will expand. The Kingdom of Heaven is an unstoppable force that will not only be a blessing to the nations, but will increasingly subdue them under the feet of […]
Matthew 13:24-30 The Wheat & the Tares Part 1 The Parable
The Kingdom of heaven is an already but not yet reality. Jesus is reigning, but He is reigning ‘in the midst of His enemies.’ In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares we see the enemy sow tares amongst the wheat. Tares look almost exactly like wheat until the plants bear fruit. What is […]
