The Coming King

Matthew 21:1-22

Joe Fauth

Three observations 

1) The Declaration of Kingship

• By the People
• By the Prophecy
• By the Priests 

2) The Demonstration of Kingship

• Cleansing the Temple
• Curing the Traumatized
• Cursing the Tress

3) The Demands of Kingship

• Your Allegiance 
• Your Adoration

A Ransom for Many

Matthew 20:17-28

Joe Fauth

The Revelation of the Cross (20:17-19)

• Wil be delivered
• Will be condemned to death
• Will be handed to the Gentiles
• Will be mocked
• Will be flogged
• Will be crucified
• Will be raised on the third day

The Reaction to the Cross (20:20-24)

Matthew wants us to see these things side-by-side. Mother (aunt of Jesus) comes with her two boys, apart from the others and makes a request.

It’s an inconsiderate reaction

It’s an ignorant reaction (“you do not know what you are asking”)

It’s an instigating reaction

• “and when the ten heard it, they were indignant”

This request shows us, incidentally, something about the nature of Christian living or sanctification. Here are these men who believed Jesus. They actually believed His words from back in 19:28. And you see, that’s what true Christians do—they believe the words of Jesus. But I want you to understand that there is a growing in that belief. There is a depth to it that comes as a result of staying with Christ. That is the Christian life, it’s a life of growing in understanding the meaning and depth of the cross of Christ.

The Revolution of the Cross (20: 25-27)

• The cross changes everything! The work of Jesus Christ on the cross changes how we think about 

Ourselves

• Servants (diakonos)- a word that in its basic form gives the idea of raising the dust by hurry…to minister
• Slaves (doulos)

This is an utter reversal of popular thought. Totally different from this present world.

Our situation

• It revolutionizes our thoughts about and attitude in and actions because of our situation…the present situation in which we find ourselves. 

Our sufferings

Please don’t think that suffering and death is the tool of Satan, it is not. In these years of pastoral ministry I’ve often heard the approach to suffering, sickness, and death that says that Satan is the one who brings it and uses it…that it is his tool to somehow terrify us…but look at Heb 2!!!

The Result of the Cross (20:28)

• He Came- idea that He existed before
• He Gave- He voluntarily gave Himself as a 
• A ransom for many…many slaves of sin were bought back. Not a price paid to Satan, not a price 

Points to ponder:

Who Can be Saved?

Matthew 19:16-20:16

Joe Fauth

The Presumption of Salvation

• Just look at the way that Matthew tells the story, this man came with an assumption…a presumption even. What was that? 
• That Jesus was just a good teacher
• That he was a good man. 
• You know why He had a wrong and insufficient and unsatisfying view of salvation? Because He had a wrong view of and hence use of the Law. The Law condemns it doesn’t justify. But this man was trying to use the Law in a way that it was never intended to be used! Like me using tools wrongly. 
• “The Law drives us to the Gospel to learn how to be saved, and the Gospel drives us to the Law to learn how to live” (John Owen).

The Prevention of Salvation

• Here is the “big reveal”. He had “great possessions”. Here is a man who had lots of possessions. He was a leader probably in a local area synagogue. 

Jesus identifies for him what he was missing. He’s identifying the unsatisfying part of this man…it was his love for his riches. He loved this more than he loved the Lord. This is what he really loved most. Your God is the person or thing for which you would rather lose everything else and hold on to that than lose. But salvation is for people who despair of their own efforts, who realize that, in themselves and by themselves, they are hopelessly sinful and incapable of improving. Salvation is for those who see themselves as living violations of His holiness and who confess and turn from their sin and throw themselves on God’s mercy. It is for those who recognize they have absolutely nothing good to give God, that anything good they receive or accomplish can be only by His sovereign, gracious provision in Jesus Christ (MacArthur, p. 192).

The Power of Salvation

• How can this be? With man it is impossible but it is possible with God.

The Principles of Salvation

Principle of Equity

• This parable is not a parable about the differences in rewards, rather this parable is about one primary truth: the equality of salvation. In other words, a genuinely redeemed person will always receive the same quality and blessing of eternal life. There are no second-class Christians.

Believing tax collectors, prostitutes, criminals, and social outcast will have the same heavenly residence as Paul, Augustine, Luther, and Wesley (MacArthur, p. 215). 

Principle of Justice

Principle of Sufficiency

Principle of Sovereignty

Reflection and Application

1. Embrace it! (that is to come to trust in Christ alone)
2. Make use of the gifts God has given you;

• the bible,
• prayer,
• God’s People (church),
• sacraments

In Matthew 12 we have an instance in the life of Jesus that brings the subject of God’s forgiveness to the front of our minds. However, it does this in a way we might not expect. The essential thrust of Matthew 12:22-37 is to lead us to understand when sin cannot be forgiven.

The incident before us consists of 4 segments that will lead us to understand the vital answer to the question: when can’t sin be forgiven? Those four segments are:

A Gracious Work (12:22)
A Great Wonder (12:23)
A Glaring Wickedness (12:24-29)
A Grave Warning (12:30-37)

A Gracious Work (12:22)

A Great Wonder (12:23)

• 16:23; Ex. 16:25; Ex. 16:29; Ex. 20:8; Ex. 20:10; Ex. 31:13; Ex. 35:2

But as you can see from these texts, the OT/Jewish Sabbath was not simply a day of rest…it was a day to rest from your labor BECAUSE you know that it is the LORD Himself who sets you apart, not you or your labor (Exodus 31:13).  It was a day to remember that the Lord was the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt when you were there in slavery (Deut. 5:15).  In other words, we might say that working on the Sabbath was a dishonoring of the LORD.  It was essentially denying the redemptive intervention of God in the nation.

In Matthew 12, Jesus together with His disciples were walking through the grain fields. They were hungry.  So as they were walking along they were grabbing a few kernels of grain and rubbing it between their hands and popping it in their mouths.

The problem, however was that it was on the Sabbath Day.  The disciples of Christ (and presumably) Christ Himself were violating the traditions of the Rabbi’s.  And this was anathema to the Pharisees who were following them.  Now, make no mistake about it, this was a major issue for these people.  It was so much of an issue that they were ready to plot the death of Jesus over this issue! 

In Matthew 12:1-21 we will make three observations.

• Notice that He calls attention to their Misunderstanding of the Law (12:1-8)
• Notice second that He exposes their Misapplication of the Law (12:9-14)
• Notice third that He fulfills the True purpose of the Law (12:15-21).

1. Notice that He calls attention to their misunderstanding of the Law (12:1-8)
   • They misunderstood the law and they thought the Sabbath law as ultimate

2. Notice second that He exposes their Misapplication of the Law (12:9-14)

3. Notice third that He fulfills the True purpose of the Law (12:15-21)

This passage is essentially quoting Isaiah 42:1-4.  This is the first of four passages in the book of Isaiah that refers to the servant of the Lord who will come to deliver Israel.  He is the One who fulfills the Sabbath law…He comes as our Sabbath… He Himself is our rest.  It was NEVER the purpose of God to give the Sabbath to man as a way for man to earn favor with God.  It was given as a way for man to celebrate the favor that was already his. 

            It’s not about a day but it’s about a Person!  And that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.   In what ways?  Four ways…

1. The One Who Pleases God

2. The One Who Preaches Good News

3. The One Who Promises Grace

4. The One Who Provides Hope

Conclusion

• There is no Christian Sabbath day but there is a Sabbath and he is Jesus
• Nothing wrong with standards but 2 potential dangers

1. When it’s more about the rule than it is about the Savior
2. When it’s more about saving face than about the needs of people

Reflection, Discussion & Application

1. If the OT law on the Sabbath was still in effect, and you were living in accordance with it, how would things change with your week?
2. Read Hebrews 3:7-4:16. Observe the how this passage reflects the theme of this message in Matthew. How are we to live in light of this “Sabbath Rest” in Christ? How are we to speak to one another? Why should we seek the input of fellow believers?
3. Jesus said in v. 7 “and if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” What are the places in your life where you tend to be more focused on the rule than the Savior or the needs of others. (c.f. Mt 22:32-40 Deut 6:5 ;Lev 19:18).