What a set up for the cross...
I know it is still a couple months to Easter but God is setting up the church ahead of time with the events of the trial, cross, and resurrection through our study of the Gospel of Matthew. Looking ahead it looks like we will be ending this journey that started on January 8, 2012 on March 16, 2014. I think this is definitely the greatest highlight of my preaching career to see this happen and carry along a group of people who have been soaking in the life of Jesus with me. I have learned so much and when people come through the line after church and say compliments about the message, I just turn it back over to God and tell them that as much as they may have grown, I think I have grown all the more. Thank you God for setting us on this path.
Sermons or series have emerged out of the passages that tie them together that I have not planned but it gives greater depth to understanding of what is going on. So here is the latest.
The trial scene shows us 4 major players: the council, Judas, Pilate, and Peter. What jumped out is that if we refer back to the Parable of the Soils in Matthew 13, we see each of the players of the trial.
The council - the seed thrown on the path - the gospel that was trampled on or scooped up and carried away - the council were totally against Jesus and it didn't matter what He did or said - they wanted to be rid of Him.
Judas - the seed thrown in the rocky soil - the gospel that was tried but in the heat of the day it withered because it didn't have deep roots - Judas tried Jesus for 3 years, but when the guilt kicked in that he had betrayed and tried to give the 30 pieces back - he went not to Jesus but to the council - his roots were not deep.
Pilate - the seed thrown in the weedy soil - the gospel that was accepted at first and sprouted but the weeds were still there and eventually choked it out - Pilate was amazed at Jesus and even tired to free Him through man's plans but when the voices of the people rose up against him - those cares choked out the words of Jesus said to him.
Peter - the seed thrown on the good soil - the gospel that was to yield 30, 60, even 100 fold return - Peter, though not perfect, put his eyes back on Jesus and we watch the transformation - running to the tomb, being restored by Jesus, preaching the great sermon at Pentecost and 3000 added that day, standing in front of the same council and defending Jesus, going to jail for Jesus, 2 epistles written, and so on - his life yielded much for the Lord.
The cross scene shows us 4 major players in responses to Jesus: the soldiers, the thieves, the crowds, the religious leaders.
The soldiers were indifferent to Jesus. He was just another Jew to crucify. He was just another to make fun of and take advantage of for their own benefit. But at the end of the day, a centurion, commander of 100 soldiers, saw and heard the words of Jesus and proclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God." And the New Testament gives us accounts of other soldiers who would have been indifferent to this Jewish Man of this Jewish religion and calling Him Lord.
The thieves, one on His left and one on His right started by hurling the same insults as others upon Jesus. They all were suffering the same fate but rather than sympathize they criticize. They are self proclaimed hypocrites pointing fingers at Jesus when they are hanging on crosses too. But later, one of them hears the words of Jesus and watches the actions of Jesus and starts to change his tune. He sees Jesus as innocent and himself as guilty and even defends Jesus. He asked to be remembered and Jesus said, "Today you will be with Me in paradise."
The crowd walked by and gave insults based on false testimony brought against Jesus. They were going with what was popular opinion. Everyone was saying this. But later, after the death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus - when the Spirit had come upon the disciples and Peter preached that great sermon to some of the same crowd - their response was "What shall we do?" "Repent and be baptized" and 3000 broke from the crowd and followed Jesus that day.
The religious leaders continued their assault on Jesus. They taunted Him and continued to try Him even on the cross, asking Him to show Himself as the Son of God by coming down. They had won!!! But later after the church now established and the disciples training those who had come to faith, and meeting in homes and caring for one another with the "one anothers" in Scriptures - Acts 6:7 says, "The word of God kept on spreading and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." Some of the haters became lovers.
There was a representation of each group that came to know Jesus as Lord. Jesus' love has no bounds when it comes to our history. I am so excited to hit the next passage in which Jesus and God take center stage to show the depth of love between Them.
Adam
Sermons or series have emerged out of the passages that tie them together that I have not planned but it gives greater depth to understanding of what is going on. So here is the latest.
The trial scene shows us 4 major players: the council, Judas, Pilate, and Peter. What jumped out is that if we refer back to the Parable of the Soils in Matthew 13, we see each of the players of the trial.
The council - the seed thrown on the path - the gospel that was trampled on or scooped up and carried away - the council were totally against Jesus and it didn't matter what He did or said - they wanted to be rid of Him.
Judas - the seed thrown in the rocky soil - the gospel that was tried but in the heat of the day it withered because it didn't have deep roots - Judas tried Jesus for 3 years, but when the guilt kicked in that he had betrayed and tried to give the 30 pieces back - he went not to Jesus but to the council - his roots were not deep.
Pilate - the seed thrown in the weedy soil - the gospel that was accepted at first and sprouted but the weeds were still there and eventually choked it out - Pilate was amazed at Jesus and even tired to free Him through man's plans but when the voices of the people rose up against him - those cares choked out the words of Jesus said to him.
Peter - the seed thrown on the good soil - the gospel that was to yield 30, 60, even 100 fold return - Peter, though not perfect, put his eyes back on Jesus and we watch the transformation - running to the tomb, being restored by Jesus, preaching the great sermon at Pentecost and 3000 added that day, standing in front of the same council and defending Jesus, going to jail for Jesus, 2 epistles written, and so on - his life yielded much for the Lord.
The cross scene shows us 4 major players in responses to Jesus: the soldiers, the thieves, the crowds, the religious leaders.
The soldiers were indifferent to Jesus. He was just another Jew to crucify. He was just another to make fun of and take advantage of for their own benefit. But at the end of the day, a centurion, commander of 100 soldiers, saw and heard the words of Jesus and proclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God." And the New Testament gives us accounts of other soldiers who would have been indifferent to this Jewish Man of this Jewish religion and calling Him Lord.
The thieves, one on His left and one on His right started by hurling the same insults as others upon Jesus. They all were suffering the same fate but rather than sympathize they criticize. They are self proclaimed hypocrites pointing fingers at Jesus when they are hanging on crosses too. But later, one of them hears the words of Jesus and watches the actions of Jesus and starts to change his tune. He sees Jesus as innocent and himself as guilty and even defends Jesus. He asked to be remembered and Jesus said, "Today you will be with Me in paradise."
The crowd walked by and gave insults based on false testimony brought against Jesus. They were going with what was popular opinion. Everyone was saying this. But later, after the death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus - when the Spirit had come upon the disciples and Peter preached that great sermon to some of the same crowd - their response was "What shall we do?" "Repent and be baptized" and 3000 broke from the crowd and followed Jesus that day.
The religious leaders continued their assault on Jesus. They taunted Him and continued to try Him even on the cross, asking Him to show Himself as the Son of God by coming down. They had won!!! But later after the church now established and the disciples training those who had come to faith, and meeting in homes and caring for one another with the "one anothers" in Scriptures - Acts 6:7 says, "The word of God kept on spreading and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." Some of the haters became lovers.
There was a representation of each group that came to know Jesus as Lord. Jesus' love has no bounds when it comes to our history. I am so excited to hit the next passage in which Jesus and God take center stage to show the depth of love between Them.
Adam
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