Jesus has finally silenced the relentless attack of the religious leaders. They don’t know how to answer Jesus’ question. Furthermore, they are so intimidated by His wisdom that ‘no one dared from that day to ask Him another question.’ One might expect Jesus to kind of, ‘live and let live.’ If the Scribes and Pharisees […]
Matthew 22:41-45 David’s Son and David’s Lord
The day after the triumphal entry was a doozy of a day. All the groups of religious leaders banded together in their opposition to Jesus. Matthew tells of how they tried to intimidate Jesus, incriminate Him, discredit His theology, and diminish the influence He had over the crowds. In each instance they failed. Now Jesus […]
Matthew 22:34-40 The Great Commandment
The religious leader’s have come after Jesus relentlessly since the triumphal entry and the cleansing of the Temple, but each time Jesus has warded off their attacks and made them look foolish. He was unfazed by their attempt at group intimidation. He avoided the Pharisees political trap to catch Him in treason, and answered what […]
Matthew 22:23-33 A Mysterious and Troubling Defense of the Resurrection
Some texts are easier to understand and accept than others. This one is a doozy! What’s with this law about marrying your deceased brother’s widow if they had no kids before he died? And how are we supposed to feel about there being no marriage in heaven? And how are we ‘like the angels in […]
Matthew 22:15-22 Render Unto Caesar?
This text is the go to text for statists: ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ It is regularly used as a proof text for unlimited submission to leaders, and unquestioned acceptance of any tax burden levied by those leaders. But is that what Jesus is […]
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 21:33-46 The Parable of the Landowner
The Parable of the Landowner is the second of three judgment parables that Jesus with which Jesus threatened the chief priests and the elders of the people when they opposed Him in the temple. Listen as Pastor Matt explains this dark illustration, Jesus dreadful application for the Jewish people, and how their damning repudiation of […]
Matthew 21_28-32 Delayed vs Pretended Obedience
After the chief priests and the elders refused to answer Jesus concerning the source of John the Baptist’s ministry, Jesus presented them with a question centered around a parable. In this parable one son rebels and then repents while another son pretends to be an obedient son but doesn’t actually obey. Jesus then asks which […]
Matthew 21:23-27 The Nature & Origin of Jesus’ Authority
After Jesus’ triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple the religious leader in Jerusalem were angry. So when He returned he was met with a huge group of chief priests and elders. This group asked Jesus two insincere questions. 1) By what authority are You doing these things, and 2) Who gave You this […]
Matthew 21:18-22 The Cursing of the Fig Tree (Part 2 of 2)
We all know the text. Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it […]
