Matthew 21:1-32 - Skip Heitzig

[Music] welcome to expound our weekly worship and verse by verse study of the Bible our goal is to expand your knowledge of the truth of God by explaining the Word of God in a way that is interactive enjoyable and congregational we call this a textual community let's rejoice and learn God's Word in an interactive and enjoyable new way Matthew 21 let's pray together our father as we gather tonight and we give you our attention because we do believe that the Holy Spirit of God is ultimately our teacher you have provided the scriptures in this case the stories of the life of Jesus your son has told to us by Matthew a follower of Christ in those earlier years it's a message to us it's timeless it's the Word of God it's the scripture there are principles that apply to us today in our situation so we pray that as part of our worship we would give you our attention we would surrender and submit as we heard in that opening clip to the authority of Scripture and let no distraction be upon us but all the attention be given to you for your glory in Jesus name we pray amen you know I've often thought about those early disciples who follow Jesus and what it must have been like especially when Jesus would tell them odd things weird things they began to question why he would do that until after a while they just learned don't ask Jesus questions when he tells you to do something for example when they were out in the wilderness and there were thousands of people gathering and there was no food and Jesus said well you give them something to eat Philip the disciples scratch their heads ago oh we don't have any food and one starts calculating how much money would take and Jesus said well how much food you got it goes well there's a kid here with a few loaves bread and some fish and she said bring them to me they're thinking bring them to me what's that about what are they among so many was their rebuttal or the time when Jesus was sitting in the boat had just preached a message and then he said Peter launch out into the deep that we might have a catch of fish and Peter goes Lord I've been fishing all night we didn't catch anything the time to fish is at night it's not now in the middle of the day doesn't work again a rebuttal nevertheless at your word we'll just do it we'll humor you and they caught a huge catch a fish so that the nets began to break or the time when the question came to Peter does your master pay the temple tax so the IRS is coming now on Peter and Jesus says Peter go down to the lake and catch a fish and open its mouth will be a coin exactly the right amount to pay your taxes so after a while when Jesus says do something it's like just do it don't bug him or ask him any questions or have a rebuttal against what he said and we come to a situation like that here in Matthew chapter 21 in what is called the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey he's going to make a request that they go into a village and he'll set up the scenario of what their to ask for and if there's an argument from the owners of this donkey these two donkeys what to say and there's no argument here they're learning their lesson when Jesus gives you a command just do what he says we are now dealing with the final week of Jesus life and look at where you are in your Bible you're in Matthew 21 there are 28 chapters in this book 2/5 of the entire real estate in the book of Matthew is devoted to the final week of Jesus and going to the cross so you can see what the emphasis is of this writer ok let's just catch up where has Jesus been well he has come from Galilee he crossed over the Jordan River to the east side to an area technically called Perea which is modern-day Jordan and he engaged in ministry there for several months then at the right moment he turns his face toward Jerusalem and he makes his ascent upward topographically to the city of Jerusalem for his crucifixion he goes through Jericho you remember and he meets two blind men as opposed to three blind mice two blind men one of them named Bartimaeus because he was the most notable he healed them and then he continues his way upward toward Jerusalem ascending because Jericho is down by the Dead Sea very low lowest spot in the face of the earth they're going to Jerusalem about 2,500 feet above sea level they're coming in climbing up the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives and they come to two towns one called Bethany and the other called beta J Bethany is where Lazarus lived in Mary and Martha that's where Jesus would often stay when he would come to town the other city right next to it Beth vajay means the house of FIGS located both of them a couple miles outside the old city walls of Jerusalem and so we begin in verse 1 now when they drew near Jerusalem and came to bet fudge a which means house of figs in Hebrew at the Mount of Olives then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them go into the village opposite you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a Colt that is a young donkey with her loosed them and bring them to me and if anyone says to you or says anything to you you shall say the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them now wouldn't this be great if it worked for other things like a car you could just go to the lot pick one out and say I want this one the Lord has need of it here's the keys man how cool would that be or groceries the Lord has need of these a something that you should make a note of the story that we're reading this triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is mentioned in all four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John take this story and tell it in their version giving slightly different details in each but you get the composite by all for now that's noteworthy because we've discovered already that so often the Gospel writers would write about certain things and leave out stories or events but here is an event that all four Gospel writers tell us which tells me that God wants us to get this story you know sometimes the Lord would repeat things twice for emphasis verily verily I say unto you in Greek a main main which means hey lissa up and then every now and then the Lord would repeat something three times like in Isaiah six holy holy holy came the message of that vision that Isaiah saw so that one attribute God wants you to know about him is what that he is holy but when God repeats something four times you got to know he wants you to understand it so this is Matthew's rendition all this was done verse four that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying tell the daughter of Zion behold your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a Colt a donkey a Colt the foal of a donkey so the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them they brought the donkey and the Colt laid their clothes on them and set him on them and a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road others cut down branches from trees and spread them on the road and then the multitude who went before and those who followed cried out saying Hosanna to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord now just soak it in for a moment this is an historic moment this is a prophetic moment this is something that had been anticipated or should have been anticipated by the entire nation of Israel and I'll tell you why in a moment alright the season is what Feast Passover at Passover the City of Jerusalem would swell Josephus tells us sometimes - five times its population base in the writings of the historian Flavius Josephus he says that one Passover around this era two hundred and fifty six thousand lambs were slaughtered in the temple courts that's a quarter million lambs the Jewish minimum was ten people per one lamb which would mean the population of Jerusalem if those renderings are accurate could have swelled to about two and a half million people it was very very crowded hospitality was big because crowds from all over came I mentioned that Jesus often stayed with Mary Martha and Lazarus on the other side of the Mount of Olives but sometimes he would just spend the night in the open like around the Garden of Gethsemane because the Bible says he often went there to pray so the city was crowded and the best thing that we can think of for that is what festival in October is our city really crowded the Balloon Fiesta can't find a hotel room traffic is crazy especially early morning and evening time because of the balloons so that's the situation going here now it was every Jews dream to celebrate Passover at least once in your lifetime in the city of Jerusalem at the end of every satyr feast no matter where you celebrate it whether it's Albuquerque Albin in New York or Argentina at the end you say next year Bay it who shall I'm in Jerusalem next year in Jerusalem God willing it's my hope that one day maybe next year will be the year I'll get to go to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover so pilgrims have flooded in the event were reading took place on a Sunday we call it Palm Sunday in the Hebrew calendar it was the tenth day of the month Nisan and Isan if you happen to be taking notes on the tenth day of the month Nisan that's when the Jewish people would select the lamb that they were going to offer for the Passover sacrifice and that lamb would be prepared as Jesus comes into the city the crowd surround him and they shout out a word that's familiar to us Hosanna it comes to us from psalm 118 it's a messianic psalm Hosanna means deliver or save now lord help us Lord deliver us Lord save us now do for us Jesus what our religion has been unable to do you are the Messiah blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the son of David they recognized him as their Messiah now that sounds really promising except a few days later no doubt many of the people in this same crowd are going to be the ones that will shout out crucify him crucify him so crowds can be very fickle but at this point they're recognizing that he's their Messiah that's their hope now keep in mind the reason they would go from Hosanna to crucify him is because Jesus didn't give them what they wanted they wanted deliverance from Rome they wanted a physical deliverance from the yoke and bondage of Roman oppression they didn't want a crucified Savior Dyan for their sins they want real tangible help overthrow the Roman government and you're the guy that's their hope as he comes in now he's riding on a donkey why this is because he's just tired is it because he said boys I've always wanted a donkey ride into Jerusalem they're cool no Matthew tells us the reason is to fulfill what was anticipated a prophecy by the Prophet Zechariah in chapter 9 of that little book in the Old Testament Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9 is the announcement shout o daughter of Zion for behold your king is coming to you he is lowly and having salvation riding on a donkey a Colt the foal of a donkey so it was predicted that he would come this way something that is helpful to know is that oftentimes Kings when they were fighting a battle or had one victory through a battle would come on a white horse if they were going to war they would go on a horse a charger but if it was times of peace or offering peace the king would sometimes come in a lowly fashion like the common people on a donkey so here is Jesus coming at his first coming on a donkey offering salvation bringing terms of peace to the world at his second coming revelation 19 tells us Jesus comes on a white horse to make war and to stop the rebellion against God that will take place during that period of time so it is first coming he comes in peace at a second coming he will come to judge and make war something else you need to know it's not recorded here it's going to be recorded it is recorded in Luke's Gospel but who knows when we'll get to that so let's just cover it's same event Luke tells us that in when Jesus comes in on the day we're reading about he weeps over the city of Jerusalem and he makes a proclamation that he is holding the nation accountable to know that day that had been predicted in Luke 19 it reads that Jesus said if you had known even you in this your day the things that make for your peace but they're hidden from your eyes and now your enemies will come in and cast an embankment around you and close you in on every side predicting the fall of Jerusalem that will happen in 70 AD listen to what he says because you did not know the time of your visitation or the NIV says because you didn't know the time of God coming to you so he said you should have known what day this is you don't know what day this is you're gonna be judged because you didn't know the time of your visitation what day is he speaking of what time is he referring to now I need your full attention he's holding them accountable to be aware of a prophecy that had been given to them in their own writings in the Old Testament that predicted the coming of the Messiah did you know that there was a prediction made that gave the exact day that the Messiah would be presented to the Jewish nation in fact he's called in that passage Messiah the Prince I'm referring to of course Daniel chapter 9 there's four incredible verses I would consider them the most important prophetic verses in all of the Bible that's quite a statement Daniel had been praying in Chapter nine wondering about the future of the nation he'd been reading his Bible his devotions were in the Book of Jeremiah and he read in Jeremiah that there would be 70 years of captivity and he's looking through his calendar and he goes well what do you know we've been in captivity about 70 years it's about time for us to go home 70 years is almost up as he prays he gets a revelation from God a timetable for their future now listen to what it says seventy weeks are determined for your people for your holy city to finish the transgression to put an end of sin to bring in everlasting righteousness to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy know this and understand that from the going forth of the Commandment to build and restore Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince shall be 483 years now just think about that you with me so far our prediction is made that a commandment will be given and from the very date that the commandment is given 483 years will pass called in Hebrew 69 weeks because it says 70 weeks are determined in Hebrew it's it's Sebo I'm shaving which literally is 77s and almost every scholar looking at that says it refers to weeks of years or sets of years so once again keep in mind a prediction is made that a commandment will be given to restore and build Jerusalem that have been destroyed by the Babylonians they've been in captivity for 70 years Daniel gets the revelation that a commandment will be given in the future to restore and build Jerusalem and from that time on 483 years or 69 sets of seven will transpire until Messiah is in Hebrew Nahid the Messiah the Prince then it goes on to say in that prophecy in daniel most amazing prophecy then the Messiah will be cut off a word for killed very explicit it's a curious prediction and it's a prediction that got one scholar researching it and the scholar that I'm talking about was a guy who used to be head of the Criminal Division of Scotland Yard his name was Sir Robert Anderson he wrote a pretty thick book called the coming Prince it's all mathematical computations he says he goes back in history knee finds the date that artic circus Longy Manus made the decree that the Jews can build not only the temple but entire city rebuild the city as well as their place of worship and that date is clearly fixed in history as March 14th 445 BC so Sir Robert Anderson took out I was gonna say his calculator didn't have him back then his pencil and his little brain and he started counting 483 years from March 14th 445 BC now he reckoned not 365 days per year that's how we count our years 365 and a third day that's the Julian calendar but when the Bible was written they weren't working off the Julian calendar but the Babylonian calendar of 360 days per year so the first thing that Anderson did was to calculate 483 years using 360 day years he accounted for leap years and etc went all through history and it's in his book and he came up with this 173,880 days is precisely 483 years or 69 sets of seven so he started counting from March 14th 445 BC one two three four five six seven I don't worry I won't go 173,880 days and the 173,880 a--the day just happened to be April 632 ad or the tenth of Nisan when Jesus said to his disciples go into that village and get me a donkey I'm fulfilling not only zechariah 9:9 but Daniel chapter 9 know this and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah the prince will be a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred eighty-two exactly it's an amazing book it's an amazing prediction no wonder Jesus said if only you would have known the things that make for your peace in this your day you didn't know the time of your visitation he held them accountable to know that date and so he wept for the city because he knew what would happen in their future when the Romans would take it over verse 10 and when he had come into Jerusalem all the city was moved saying who is this and so the multitude said this is Jesus the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves now it could be that tonight here in this room we have some very clever well-read Bible students and we've just read that passage you go NAT now wait a minute skip I I do remember you teaching the Gospel of John recently and according to the Gospel of John Jesus drove out these money changers in the temple at the beginning of his ministry and here Matthew says it happened at the end of his ministry and you might even be saying aha contradiction that wouldn't be wise because John records the incident that happened at the beginning of his ministry Matthew Mark and Luke the Synoptics record the incident that happened at the end of his ministry there were two separate incidents Jesus came representing his father as the lord of the Covenant I'll explain that term in a moment at the beginning of his ministry they didn't learn their lesson he comes again at the end of his ministry slightly different variations same idea he comes in and he overturns the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves now as Jesus just having a bad day is this like well he's got real anger issues this Messiah he needs to take the class when good men get angry not at all the Bible says be angry and sin not Jesus was not exhibiting sinful anger but rightful righteous anger he's exercising his rightful authority as the Messiah of Israel God's representative over God's house now listen to what Malachi said remember Malachi the last book in the Old Testament that predicted the coming of John the Baptist it said this man Malachi 3 and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the Covenant and he will sit as a refiner and a purifier this was all predicted he had divine prophetic rights to come and he did twice at the beginning and at the end of his ministry the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple even the messenger of the Covenant that's who Jesus was okay here's the deal just so you understand why Jesus would do this like man this is radical sort of like a Billy Graham came and just started pushing pulpits over in churches whoa here's the deal people would come to Jerusalem I said it was a dream of every Jewish person to go there for Passover at least once he would go up there and sometimes they would bring animals sometimes they wouldn't bring an animal not to worry as Apple would say we have an app for that and sometimes they would come but didn't have the right kind of currency because they came from a foreign country and so once again not to worry we have an app for that they would sell you an animal in the temple precincts for a lot more than you could get it anywhere else at an exorbitant rate and if you had different money than the money that was accepted there's only two types of money that was accepted the temple coin minted in Jerusalem and the Galilean shekel or the Tyrian shekel it was called because of the amount of silver in it but if you need to get the right coin they will charge you interest and the amount of interest is the equivalent of about two hours worth of work for a common laborer every half shekel that you get back and change if you have larger bills or larger coin related in that bills larger coin would cost you the same amount the equivalent of two hours worth of labor for a common worker exorbitant rates they would charge they were capitalizing no they were extorting people's desire to worship God they wanted to be there they wanted to worship God not only that but we are told by history that there were rabbinical schools that taught priests how to look at lambs to see if they were clean or unclean and the training was 18 months on a special farm where they would be able to look for defects acquired or inherent or if you brought what you thought was a perfect lamb and your rabbi in town wherever you're from said it was great they might look at and say well there's a problem what do you mean a problem it's perfect they told me back home was horrific I know but look here look look look look look and they point something any go I can't see anything I know but I've been trained I can see it I'm sorry we can't sacrifice this you have to buy one of our little sheepies our lambs Jesus observe this it was a racket sort of like going to the movies you know you you paid ten dollars for the ticket but popcorn and a coke is what two hundred and fifty bucks it's crazy by the time you have a night out at the movies and they know they gotcha am i right it's not worth even half of what they charge at the movies okay I'm done there now when I read this story I think of something that Charles Wesley wrote in the 1700s it became a song and it became a very popular little statement gentle Jesus meek and mild look upon this little child Jesus was meek and he was mild even said that he was and he was seen by the crowds as somebody who was meek and lowly in heart but not when it came to hypocrites when it came to hypocrites or those who violated the holiness of God and the desire for people to sincerely worship he wasn't gentle Jesus meek and mild he was fatal Jesus angry and wild he'd come at you he'd unleashed the fury of God and that's an attribute that many especially unbelievers don't want to believe that Jesus exhibited oh you know be like Jesus that means it sort of roll over and say nothing do nothing he just let anything go did he in revelation during the Tribulation Period the people on earth will hide in rocks and in caves saying save us listen to this from the wrath of the Lamb sounds like an oxymoron doesn't have ever seen an angry lamb look out he's got a lamb right beware of lamb never see that on an offense lambo attack sheep the wrath of the Lamb yes this is the Lamb of God that gentle Jesus who one day will come back in fury and in judgment so Jesus in the temple verse 13 and he said to them it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves he's quoting from Jeremiah chapter 7 and then the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and He healed them notice the difference on one hand he's angry rightfully so righteously so on the other hand he's very mild and meek and receives those who know they have a need and they come to Jesus and he willingly accepts them and transforms their life now I mentioned that Jesus is quoting in Matthew says that Jesus said it is written my father's house would be called the house of prayer he's sporting from one of the most famous sermons the Prophet Jeremiah ever gave in Jeremiah chapter 7 God says Jeremiah go stand in the temple courts in front of the opening to the temple and when people come in I want you to yell I want you to proclaim and say this don't trust in lying vanities saying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord goes on to say my father's house or my house God's the father says shall be called a house of prayer so what you had in Jeremiah's time was a group of religious people who were hiding behind their rituals and their place of worship just like a lot of people that I say well I go to church are you saved you ask them will I go to church the temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord I've been baptized I've been confirmed do you follow Jesus are you born-again Christian ritual can cover up a wicked heart people can go through the ritual keep the religious observance and think I feel good about myself I've done this for the Lord I'm okay now and that's why God said Jeremiah give it to him straight they can't trust in the temple of the Lord any more or keeping these sacrifices I've always found it interesting Isaiah's had a very similar ministry and sorry to be hopping over the Bible but I find it helpful to take verses of scripture stories in the Bible and see how they relate to the whole Bible in Isaiah chapter 1 God says to the Prophet and through the Prophet to the people quit bringing me sacrifices I'm sick of it when you make your long prayers for your new moons in your Sabbath's my soul hates your sacrifices I won't listen to your dumb prayers anymore I remember when I first read that I go whoa wait a minute you're the one who told us or told them to make sacrifices and prayers on the new moon in the Sabbath now you're saying I'm sick of it I don't want it why because it was all outward not inward it was all ritual it wasn't relationship or real or authentic it wasn't a real submission or surrender to God simply outward so Jesus is quoting from that famous sermon saying my father's house shall be called a house of prayer and astute Jewish leaders would have recognized that verse 15 but when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple and saying Hosanna to the son of David they were indignant isn't this cool the children now this is the following day after Jesus came into Jerusalem the next day the next day Jesus is in the temple doing marvelous things and the kids are their little children Hosanna Hosanna word they learned that from hearing their parents the day before your children our children and grandchildren watch our lives very keenly now watch our attitudes toward God toward going to church toward reading the Bible toward devotions things we say about God or to God they listen very carefully their parents the day before it said Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the son of David the kids heard then so the next day probably just playing around Hosanna Hosanna it was beautiful they were emulating their parents it's always been a lesson to me this verse to be very careful how we live in what we say and sometimes a grown up will say a certain word and then say something really lame afterwards like pardon my french excuse me it wasn't French it was English everybody knows that word but then your son or your daughter hears that and what do you tell them well don't say that don't don't you say that that's an adult word no it's a word for somebody who doesn't really have a IQ can't really think of anything but some stupid fill-in word like that Hosanna they said and he said to them verse sixteen do you hear they said to him do you hear what what these are saying of course now they knew what that meant they knew some 8 118 that Hallel song they knew it they knew it was a messianic song they knew what the crowd was asking for and now look now the kids are perverted and corrupted do you hear what they're saying jesus said to them yes have you never read I've always loved that question yes hey you religious leaders do you ever read your own scriptures have you never read out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise as kids were just saying what their parents said they had no theological background they couldn't read or write but that was perfect they emulated what had been taught them by their parents that's perfect praise and he left them and he went out of the city to Bethany back again to the other side of that Mount of Olives where Mary Martha and Lazarus lived and he lodged there now in the morning as he returned to the city he was hungry and seeing a fig tree by the road he came to it and found nothing on it believes and he turned to it and said let no fruit grow on you ever again it says immediately the fig tree withered away and when the disciples saw it they marvelled I would too I still do and I'm just reading it and they were saying how did the fig tree withered away so soon now please don't get the idea that Jesus just like has it been dead on fig trees ago I don't like figs it's an object lesson he had been to the temple he found no fruit he'd been there at the beginning of his ministry overturned the tables it's been three and a half years he's back again there's no fruit at the beginning or at the end I think of that two times he went no fruit in that part of the world there's a lot of fakes my favorite area to see them is up north it says Ariha Phillipi but figs produce fruit twice there's an early edible fruit that even comes to the tree before the leaves are fully pushed out and the early fruit is a harbinger of future normal fruit the bigger fruit it's it's it's an indication if you see the little ones coming out the big ones are coming later if you come and there's no little ones there's gonna be no big ones now mark 11 tells us it wasn't fig season yet so people read and go so why would he so be so bummed out at a fig tree if there's not even fig season because the fact that there were no early figs which would indicate you're gonna have the later figs shows that it's not bearing fruit it's a picture of that nation and those leaders he came to the Lord's house the temple the nation they represented the nation he found nothing but leaves an outward profession but he found no fruit no early fruit and us no later fruit and so he cursed that fig tree by the way there are two prophets in the Old Testament Hosea is one Joel is another both of those prophets used the fig or the fig tree as a symbol of the nation of Israel in the same sentences where those are used in those prophetic books the vine the grape the vineyard which is a well known well established picture of the nation of Israel and the fig tree are pictured together so it's a picture of the nation of Israel and Jesus pronounces a curse on that this is a object lesson and a prediction of what's going to happen in 70 AD when the Romans come in and destroy that city it's cursed now I won't want you to go crazy with this thought because the early church was all Jewish all Jewish but it was the Lord's heart to get the gospel out to the world jesus said go unto all the world Paul went to the Jew first and also to the Gentile or Greek when the Jews repeatedly didn't want to hear them you know what Paul did he would you know bang his feet like knocked the dust off his feet and say from now on I'm going to the Gentiles and they listened most of Paul's fruit was in non-jewish areas and they received the gospel more readily than the Jewish people now the Bible promises that Israel has been hardened as a nation until the full number of Gentiles be gathered in then God says I'm gonna work again with the house of Israel so if you see what happens in the book of Revelation that after the rapture of the church I believe that's my eschatology after the rapture of the church during the tribulation period that's when the real outpouring even though we're seeing more Jewish believers today than ever before in the land of Israel it doesn't compare to what's going to happen in the book of Revelation there's gonna be a hundred and forty-four thousand believers who become evangelists who get the gospel through their lips imagine 144,000 Paul the Apostles be an irresistible force so that a huge innumerable multitude the souls under the altar are the Gentile and the Gentile nations that receive the gospel through their witness so when he curses the nation he is predicting the fall of Jerusalem and the temporary setting aside of Israel but looking for the future regather where's 21 jesus answered and said to them assuredly 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 also if you say to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea it will be done and whatever things you ask in prayer believing you will receive I will admit that this verse seems at first glance to be strange almost like it doesn't belong here almost as if Jesus is sort of giving us a formula you too can curse fig trees oh and by the way move mountains so a little background is helpful there was a phrase in Judaism rabbinic Judaism where they would call a certain gifted teacher the remover of mountains or the up Rooter of mountains if he was particularly gifted and was able to unravel difficult passages or difficult problems certain rabbis were called the Rooter up of the mountains now the context here is Jesus is teaching how to not be under God's curse which is faith a life of faith if you believe he's telling them I believe about removing obstacles primarily removing obstacles to a life of faith now hold that thought in the book of Zechariah the prophecy of Zechariah in the Old Testament God predicted that the governor of the town named saruba bel is going to build a temple and this is what he says who are you oh great mountain before zerubabbel you shall become a plane in other words not nothing or no one is gonna get in the way of God doing what he wants to do in building that temple through that geyser of a pool every obstacle is going to be removed the mountain is itself is going to be moved and become a plain you see that figure of speech however Jesus does apply this to prayer if whatever you ask in prayer so I can't deny that he's talking about us in our prayer lives but without going through every Scripture that we could bring to bear on this we have to presuppose that God answers all prayer that is according to his will so that whenever you ask anything that is on target with what he wants gonna be done nothing's gonna get in the way nothing's gonna be an obstacle so ask it in faith as James said nothing wavering doesn't mean that God at any whim of yours whatever you name and claim you're gonna get some people treat God like he's some divine bellboy like you called room service you just sort of name what you want and at your beck and call they'll run up to the room and get whatever you need God answers every prayer sometimes his answer is no last time I checked that's an answer to might not be the one you wanted or were looking for but it's an answer so this presupposes that you're praying according to his will in every obstacle is removed now when he came into the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching and said by what authority are you doing these things what things teaching the people in the temple overturning the tables of the moneychangers the triumphal entry what happened a couple days before this so but what authority do you do these things and who gave you this authority but jesus answered and said to them I will ask you one thing which if you tell me I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things the baptism of John where was it from from heaven or from men and they reasoned among themselves saying hmm well if we say from heaven he's going to say to us why didn't you believe him then but if we say four men were afraid of these guys that we fear the multitude for all count John as a prophet so they answered Jesus and said we don't know and he said to them neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things I love this they're trying to trap him they're trying to trap Jesus but what authority do these do you do these things who gave you the authority if you were to answer plainly and honestly they would go at him he would have said my authority comes from my Heavenly Father who sent me from heaven to earth as your Messiah I have full and legitimate claim and right as the future king of Israel and the world to do this so they're trying to trap him so he's not being evasive he's being wise wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove so he brings up John the Baptist now John the Baptist was very notable people from all over Judea you remember in Jerusalem all swarmed down to the Jordan River because this guy was radical uncompromising preacher he would he would baptize people in the river that they were used to they were used to a baptism by the way baptism comes from a Jewish practice that predates the New Testament honor if you're aware of that but you can go to Israel today and those of you who are with us you know exactly what I'm talking about as you're going up to the southern steps in Jerusalem on that Temple Mount there's all sorts of holes dug out called the mikveh or the mikveh oat is the plural which are holes dug out that held water where people would immerse themselves in the water for ritual purification before going up to the temple to worship was the baptism they would be baptized and go worship John the Baptist though was different and the reason people were going to hear him because they thought he may be the Messiah because this guy isn't just get wet and go through a ritual he's saying change your life and repent so the people regarded him as a prophet so he brings up John the Baptist and I love it because Jesus has them now on the horns of a dilemma we call this in chess check mate by what authority do you do these things check let me ask you a question what do you think of John check mate we don't know okay I'm done here see ya and he moves on now he doesn't leave it there he goes on now to expose their dishonesty by giving them a story a parable verse 28 but what do you think a man had two sons and he came to the first and he said son go work today in my vineyard and he answered he said I will not but afterwards he regretted and he went came to a second son and said likewise and he answered and said I go sir but he did not go which of the two did the will of his father they said to him the first jesus said to them assuredly I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you do you think that offended them you know if Jesus were a pastor of a church he'd get all sorts of notes for that one it has a little too heavy their preacher my friends not coming back as you said that for John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him but the tax collectors and harlots believed him and when you saw it you did not afterwards relent and believe and then he said hear another parable and judging from the time we're gonna have to hear another parable at another time but going back to that first parable that we just read we'll just close on that one and give a few thoughts to go home with the tax collectors that he refers to the IRS agents that nobody liked because they work for the Roman government you know their story and the harlots that he mentions they're like the first son they heard and I go yeah that's not for me whatever but later on they had a change of heart a repentance and they did the will of the Father by receiving Christ whereas the religious leaders are like this second son in the parable that is they're not saying anything negative about John the Baptist's are just saying what we don't know we know he's very famous and he's a very controversial figure we don't know but they're not willing to do the will of the father which is have men and women come to Christ his son the Savior they're not willing to repent so out and out sinners will enter the kingdom of God but self-righteous religionists won't get in a couple years ago I was invited in upstate New York to visit a very infamous criminal called the Son of Sam David Berkowitz he'd heard our radio broadcasts and he asked if I was in the area if I'd stop in and see him he's in life several life imprisonment notorious serial killer movies have been made out of him books have been written about him he was a terror in New York years ago so there I am in prison and right across from me I'm looking eye to eye with the Son of Sam the serial killer who has since given his heart to Christ is living out the rest of his life in a prison and when he was up for parole last time he told the judge I don't want to get out I don't deserve to get out I deserve death or a life sentence for what I've done besides that I feel I have a very important prison ministry right here that I want to continue he's genuine but I'm looking at him and I'm thinking imagine telling this story to the secularist or the religionist who says you know I've been good and upright and gone to church all my life and been baptized and been confirmed and have kept the sacraments but it's it's not a repentance of heart it's just outward ritual to say to them you're not going to heaven the serial killer is that would like blow a fuse it's like it's the worst thing they can hear they don't get that they don't get that you come poor in spirit and you confess who you are and you might be like the harlot and the tax collector I don't need that stuff but eventually you have a change of heart and you asked for forgiveness and God says I do forgive you based on what my son did come on into heaven but the person who goes to the temple or goes to the church and goes to the ritual and trust in himself will not go to heaven jesus said those harlots gonna get to heaven for you guys for John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him but the tax collectors and harlots believed when you saw it you did not afterwards repent and believe remember Jesus said we already covered in Matthew 7 not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only those who do the will of my father in heaven it's not what you say it's what you do when Christ changes you you're not saved by what you do you're saved by what he does but then you do change because he's changed you from the inside out father we want to leave that right there tonight and think on one hand what a rebuke it is to the self-styled self promoting self-reliant and self-righteous Ritualist and religionist but what a breath of fresh air it is to the person who knows they need your help and who would say yep I'm a sinner and I need forgiveness and it could be Lord that there are some who are here tonight we're listening by radio or watching over the internet who have come to the same conclusion that they're a sinner in need of forgiveness and it's the forgiveness that comes from God through Jesus Christ you can change that life if that person will surrender to you truth is we're all sinners we've all fallen short of your glory we all need your forgiveness some admit it some don't some come some don't some say nice things but don't really live or surrender to your ways your spirit your truth there's no heart change I pray for anyone who might be here right now on this campus in this auditorium in our family room up in the balcony even outside what are listening in overflow who doesn't personally know Jesus as Savior I pray that tonight like that first son who said nope but later had a change of heart that tonight would be the change of heart when there would be genuine surrender and repentance they'd experience your grace your forgiveness [Music] in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig

Views: 7,201

Rating: 4.7802196 out of 5

Keywords: Calvary, Albuquerque, Skip, Heitzig, Sermon, Matthew, Calvary Church, Josephus, Artaxerxes Longimanus, John Wesley, Repentance, John the Baptist, Chief priests, Zerubbabel, Revelation, Jewish, Israel, Fig Tree, Hosanna, Religious, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jerusalem, Donkey, Palm Sunday, Passover, Triumphal Entry, Final week

Id: HOQ11iv1IfU

Length: 60min 46sec (3646 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 11 2018