children of hell and heaven’s king

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 23 13 Matthew 23.  Jesus pronounces judgment upon the religious professionals in Jerusalem and warns his disciples not to follow their hypocrisy.  With seven prophetic woes, he condemns them for seven sins:

 

 

 

  1. They shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces (13-14),
  2. They make their converts children of hell (15),
  3. They are blind guides (16-22),
  4. They major in the minor things, and neglect the weightier matters (23-24),
  5. They appear clean on the outside, but are inwardly defiled (25-26),
  6. Their outward beauty covers deadness (27-28),
  7. They celebrate the righteous of the past but do not live it in the present (29-31).

He concludes his prophetic condemnation by predicting three things that he will elaborate on in the next chapter: the persecution of Christians, the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, and his second coming.

LORD, grant us the courage to be genuine in a world of counterfeits.  We want to be servants of heaven’s king, not children of hell.

“Woe to you”  (23:13)

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hard questions and heaven’s king

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 22 46 Matthew 22:15-46.  The various religious and political parties in Jerusalem had decided to get rid of Jesus by publically humiliating him.  They each chose a hard question to ask him “to entangle him in his words.”

 

  1. Jesus shows the Pharisees and Herodians a coin, telling them to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s (15-22).
  2. Jesus explains to the Sadducees that the hope of the resurrection is real because of who God is (23-33).
  3. Jesus tells the Pharisees that love is the greatest obedience (34-40).

Finally,  Jesus turns the whole event around by entangling the Pharisees in their own words.   He shows from Psalm 110 that the Messiah is more than the Pharisees say about him.

LORD, your wisdom surpasses all the intelligence of any age.  Give us the good sense to stay true to your words.

“… no one was able to answer him a word” (22:46)

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the source of heaven’s king

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 21 42Matthew 21:28-22:14.  Jesus had been confronted by the chief priests and elders at Jerusalem. While he was teaching in the temple courts they demanded that he reveal the source of his ministry.  He would not tell them outright, but he did reveal his source in three parables.

  1. His source was the Father of two sons: one who claimed to be obedient, but failed to obey, the other who said no, but repented and obeyed (21:28-32).
  2. His source was the master of the house, who leased a vineyard to tenants.  those tenants rebelled against him, and did not give the fruit due him (21:33-46).
  3. His source was the king who planned a wedding feast.  Those initially invited would not come.  He sent servants to invite other guests, and troops to destroy those who rejected the first invitation (22:1-14).

LORD, give us the wisdom to accept your invitation to our future, by being obedient to your will today.

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prayer and heaven’s king

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 21 13Matthew 21:12-27.  Three stories from Jesus’ time at the Jerusalem temple highlight the ministry of prayer.  In each story, an obstacle must be overcome.

 

  1. Jesus cleansed the temple by overturning the tables of commerce that had been set up.  The temple courts were intended for prayer-business, but money-business was getting in the way.  Once the distractions were eliminated, the healing and praise came naturally, because Jesus was there (12-17).
  2. Jesus rebuked the fig tree because it looked like it was fruitful, but it was not.  He challenged his disciples to pray in faith.  Once the doubt is eliminated, the mountain will move (18-22).
  3. Jesus forced the chief priests and elders to admit that they were rejecting God’s work.  Their ploy of remaining agnostic as to the source of John’s ministry meant this: They did not want the Messiah to come.  Prayers (like the prayers for the Messiah to come) have to be genuine (23-27).

LORD, eliminate the obstacles that we set up that hinder our prayer ministries.

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serving and heaven’s king

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 20 28 Matthew 20:17-21:11.  Zechariah’s prophecy that predicted the triumphal entry on a donkey’s colt goes on to say “because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free” (Zech. 9:11).  This deliverance would only come when the master of all became a servant of all – surrendering himself to be mocked, flogged, and crucified (20:19).  Two stories in this passage highlight the call to serve:

  1. The mother of James and John could not persuade Jesus to make them greatest in the coming kingdom.  But Jesus did use that incident to teach that whoever would be great must serve.  Even he came not to be served but to serve, and give himself as a ransom for many (20-28).
  2. Two blind men sitting in need of help.  Jesus stopped to serve them.  Serving the needy is what greatness is for (29-34).

LORD, may we seek not to be served, but to serve – as you did.

“the Son of Man came … to serve”  (20:28).

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grace, equality, and heaven’s king

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 19 30 Matthew 19:1-20:16.  In each of the stories Matthew records here, there is someone who considers himself better than someone else.  The lesson is about God’s grace – how it levels the playing field and makes us all equal.

  1. The Pharisees demanded that Jesus accept that men are better than women – in that they have authority to divorce wives that do not please them.  Jesus said that was going against God’s commandment and intention (3-12).
  2. The disciples rebuked parents for bothering Jesus with their children.  Jesus rebuked them (13-15).
  3. The rich young man thought that he was better than others.  Jesus knew where his loyalty was (16-22).

So, Peter asked if everybody in the kingdom was equal by grace, what could be gained by forsaking all to follow Jesus.  Jesus promised thrones, the hundred-fold return, and eternal life – all at his second coming.  But those who think they are first will be last.

LORD, thank you for your grace.  You are the master.  We agree to your terms of employment.

“many who are first will be last” (19:30).

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humility and heaven’s king

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 18 3 Matthew 18.  The disciples had just asked a stupid question.  They wanted to know who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus called a child, and presented him as an example to the disciples.  He told them that whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest.  A truly humble person is capable of playing nice – of getting along with others. He has a healthy fear which keeps him from getting into trouble. He forgives easily, and does not seek to get others in trouble.  That is greatness in the king’s eyes.

LORD, grant us the discernment to live truly great lives for you.  May we accept your unmerited grace, and model it for others by living lives of humble fear and forgiveness.

“…unless you turn and become like children…” (18:3)

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death, taxes, and heaven’s king

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 17 17 Matthew 17.  A few disciples got a preview of Christ in his coming glory on the mount of transfiguration.  They heard the voice of the Father himself say “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.  Listen to him.”  You would think that such a glorious person would not have to deal with the mundane indignities of life. Surely he wouldn’t have to bother with the two sure things – death and taxes.  But he does.  Jesus was one of us.  He lived his entire life in the shadow of death on the cross.  He paid all his debts, even if he had to go fishing for the money.  He lived among a frustrating, faithless and twisted generation, not above them.  So do we.

LORD, we know we are destined for your glory.  Help us to honor you by being faithful now among the faithless.  Help us to stay straight, so that we might reach this twisted generation with your gospel.

“O faithless and twisted generation…”  17:17

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revelation about heaven’s king

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 16 17 Matthew 16.  Jesus warned his disciples to stay away from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They seemed like experts in the things of God, but they were not privy to a real understanding of what God was doing in the world.  They could not interpret the signs of the times.  They sought miraculous signs from Jesus to prove what he said, but the real revelation was Jesus himself (1-12).

  1. Jesus was the awaited Messiah of Israel, the Son of the living God.  Peter made this declaration after God had revealed it to him.  Jesus rewarded his courage to confess that reality by giving him the honor of witnessing the birth of the Christian church.  He would be there when the gospel bore fruit in Jerusalem at Pentecost, in Samaria, and among the Gentiles (with Cornelius). He would serve as a foundation rock for the New Testament church (13-20).
  2. But Peter had trouble with the next thing God chose to reveal.  Jesus explained that he would have to go to Jerusalem, suffer and die.  These too were “things of God” that he was revealing.  Jesus rebuked Peter for not accepting the whole of what God revealed (21-23).
  3. The next revelation about Jesus is that he is coming again with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge the earth.  For that reason, Jesus challenged his disciples to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow him – to death.

LORD, thank you for what we know about you – what you have revealed to us.  Give us the wisdom to walk in the light of this revelation.

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Israel and heaven’s king

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 15 6 Matthew 15.  Jesus and his  disciples were in the middle of a concerted campaign to reach “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” with the gospel.  They are proclaiming his message, and he is backing up their words with miracles (29-39).  Matthew records two incidents that highlight the difficulty that they face reaching ethnic Israel.

 

  1. The Pharisees and scribes object to the disciples of Jesus because they do not ritually cleanse their hands before eating.  If the disciples had done that, they would have identified themselves as followers of the traditions.  Jesus wanted the crowds to know that following the traditions was not the way into the kingdom.  He explained to the scribes and Pharisees that one could follow the tradition of outward washing and still be spiritually unclean.  In fact, the false witness and slander brewing in the hearts of those critics were more defiling than any unwashed hand (1-20).
  2. In God’s providence, a Canaanite woman appeared when Jesus and his disciples were in the northern cities.  She needed her daughter delivered from a demon.  When Jesus ignored her, she went after the disciples.  They asked Jesus to send her away. She was distracting them from their ministry!  He refused again, saying that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  She returned to Jesus, and responds “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” Jesus grants her request.  She is a foreigner, but her faith is greater than that of the religious experts in Israel (21-28).

LORD, may we have the courage to forsake any tradition that keeps us from obeying your commands.  You are our master.

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