A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 5: Parables Against the Pharisees, Part 1: The Two Sons

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A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 5: Parables Against…

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 21. Last week, as we looked at Matthew 21, verses 23 through 27, we saw the religious rulers of Israel challenge Jesus' authority to teach. They had no success in undermining His teaching so they dropped back and asked for His credentials: “Who gave You the authority to be teaching these things that You are teaching?” And we saw Jesus respond to them with a question, not to be evasive, but actually in an explicit way to get right at the question, or the answer to the question which they had asked Him. He asked them the question 'what do you think of John the Baptist's ministry? Was that from God? Was John actually called by God? Was he an approved prophet and minister of God, or did John just…

A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 4: By What Authority?

If you have your Bibles, I’d invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 21. The Lord Jesus has been in conflict with His enemies. They have continued to bring direct charges against His teaching and His actions. None of that has worked so far, and so in this passage they try a different tactic. Since they have been unable to confront him successfully in rebuking His teaching and His deeds, now they take an indirect approach. They question His authority to be teaching in the first place. And so this passage affords us a marvelous opportunity on this day of resurrection to reflect on the claims of the risen Christ. The resurrection is a testimony to the authority of Christ and it is the authority of Christ precisely that these religious leaders of Israel are questioning. So let's…

A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 3: The Fruitless Fig…

If you have your Bibles, I’d invite you to take them in hand and turn with me to Matthew, chapter 21. So far in Matthew 21, we have seen Jesus kingship clearly set forth in His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. And then in verses 12 through 17, we have seen His judgment against Israel, that has a form of worship and religion but denies the power thereof. And so He brings judgment in the cleansing of the temple, in verses 12 through 17. And that theme of judgment, not only immediate judgment, but the foreshadowing of judgment to come continues here in Matthew, chapter 21, verses 18 through 22. So let’s turn to God’s holy word and hear it: “Now in the morning, when He returned to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it, and…

A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 2: The Cleansing of…

If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Matthew 21. It is Monday of the Passover week, and the Lord Jesus, after entering into Jerusalem on the foal of the donkey, had returned to Bethany to spend the night. Then, the next Monday morning, He came back into Jerusalem and headed straight for the temple. He had revealed himself as the humble king, the Messiah coming to His people, on that Sunday before Passover, and now He is going to reveal Himself as the righteous king,…

A Foreshadowing of Judgment, Part 1: The Triumphal…

If you have your Bibles, I’d invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 21. Today we’re beginning a new, the final section, of the gospel of Matthew. You will notice that in each of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, a disproportionate amount of time is spent on the last week of our Lord Jesus’ life. And in John’s gospel, even more. Half of the words of John’s gospel are devoted to a study of the last week of the Lord Jesus’ life. And a quarter of the other gospels are…

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