The King's Warnings

Matthew 23 (NASB)

Purpose: The King's disciples know to follow Jesus only!

• How To Follow the King

Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

King Jesus teaches the disciples and crowds,

King Jesus warns against the Pharisees

            Do and observe what they tell you but do not follow their example

            Do not be called Rabbi, teacher, father, or leader!

            "But the greatest among you shall be your servant." (v. 11)

• Eight Ways NOT to Follow the King

Matthew 23:13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Matthew 23:14 ["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Matthew 23:16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' 17 "You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 "And, "Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' 19 "You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 "Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21 "And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 "And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

Matthew 23:25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, "If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Matthew 23:34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Matthew 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"        

            Jesus proclaims eight Woes against the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees

            Judgment is imminent because the leaders were ungodly!

            #1  To scribes & Pharisees for shutting off the kingdom (v. 13) 

#2  To scribes & Pharisees for devouring widow's houses and long prayers (v. 14)

            #3  To scribes & Pharisees for a proselyte made into a son of hell (v. 15)

            #4  To blind guides (scribes & Pharisees) for false swearing (v. 16ff)

            #5  To scribes & Pharisees for tithing without justice, mercy, & faithfulness (v. 23ff)

            #6  To scribes & Pharisees for cleaning the outside not the inside! (v. 25ff)

            #7  To scribes & Pharisees for appearing whitewashed but being dead (v. 27ff)

            #8  To scribes & Pharisees for killing the prophets (v. 29ff)

            The King's Conclusion, Jesus is sending more wise men and scribes and prophets whom the scribes and Pharisees will kill and crucify to seal the guilt of the hypocrites (vv. 34-36).

            The King's heart, Jesus laments with compassion over Jerusalem. Jesus uses Psalm 118:26 prophetically, these hypocrites should have accepted Jesus, not killed Him (vv. 37-39)!

Why did Jesus cry and have compassion on Jerusalem? Because they "kill the prophets." Why should Jesus have compassion on those who kill the prophets? Because the message of the prophets was for the good of the people but they rejected it.

The King's People Celebrate With Him

Matthew 22:1-46 (all Scripture NASB)

Purpose: God is calling His people into the Kingdom of His Son!

• King Jesus Compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1   Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 "And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 "Again he sent out other slaves saying, "Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' 5 "But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7 "But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 "Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 "Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.' 10 "Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. 13 "Then the king said to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

            "For many are called, but few are chosen." (v. 14)                        

            (For historical/biblical background, cf. Is. 25:6-9)

Isaiah 25:6  The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;

         A banquet of aged wine, 3choice pieces with marrow,

         And refined, aged wine.

7       And on this mountain He will swallow up the 1acovering which is over all peoples,

         Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.

8       He will swallow up death for all time,

         And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces,

         And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth;

         For the LORD has spoken.

9       And it will be said in that day,

         "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.

         This is the LORD for whom we have waited;

         Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

            Remember, this is what the kingdom of heaven is like!

            Identify the characters and their character:

• The "king" who gave the wedding feast: God

                        This "king" is graciously setting the great feast (v. 2).

                                    The kingdom itself.  All by Grace.

                        He is patient with lazy, unwilling invitees (v. 4, 2nd invite).

                                    God's patience with the wicked.

                        He angry with invited guests who refuse to come (v. 7).

                                    God's judgment and hell.

                        He is generous and still wants to celebrate (v. 9).

                                    Merciful and loving to the lowly.

                        He's shrewd with guests who don't honor the Son (vv.11-13).

                                           Still upholds His Son's glory!

• The "king's son": Jesus

                        The entire celebration is in honor of the Son!

                                    The kingdom and banquet are for the Son.

• The invited guests: The Religious Leaders

                        They are unwilling (v. 3).

                                    Sinful and without faith toward God. (ff context)

                        They are preoccupied with other things (v. 5).

                                    Idolatrous, holding other things greater than Jesus.

                        They are hostile and disrespectful toward the king (v. 6).

                                    Arrogant, full of pride, selfish, murderous.

• The "slaves" or king's servants: The Prophets

                        They call out to the invited (v. 3).

                                    Prophets.

                        They invite and re-invite people to the king's table (vv.4,8).

                                    Faithful to God's call to evangelize.

                        They are seized, mistreated, and killed (v. 6).

                                    Willing to suffer for the gospel.

                        They are obedient and go wherever the king sends (vv.9-10).

                                           Count all things a privilege to invite others.

• The guests from the "highways": Gentiles/All Nations

                        They recognize the feast/invitation and filled the hall (v.10).

                                    Anyone from any nation who hears the invitation and receives Jesus

as King and Savior.

• The guest "not dressed in wedding clothes": False Believer

                        He wants the food of the feast (v. 11, he's there).

                                    Focused on himself , not Jesus Christ.

                        He does not honor the wedding by dressing right (v. 11).

                                    Seeks God's pleasures without honoring Jesus.

                        The point: Be dressed (repent) for the occasion (to enter the kingdom)! 

                                    See Matth. 4:17; 7:22-23 & context.

                        True discipleship is necessary in the kingdom of God even

as Jesus has taught throughout the gospel of Matthew.  One must not just come to the feast, but take on all necessary and usual aspects of being there.  One cannot just convert to Christianity, one must become a life-long, obedient, repentant following after the King!

            Application:  Which character are you most like?   How have you responded to the

invitation to receive Jesus as the King of the Universe and feast at His table? Even if you have wanted the things of God's kingdom, are you still more self-centered, or do you truly honor and treasure Jesus first and foremost in your life, even at great personal expense (like the slaves)?

• The Kingdom of Heaven is Greater than The Kingdoms of Man

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16 And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17 "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." 22 And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.

The Pharisees and Herodians Try to Trap Jesus: The test of the poll-tax

• The Kingdom of Heaven is For the Living

Matthew 22:23 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, 24 asking, "Teacher, Moses said, "IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.' 25 "Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; 26 so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 "Last of all, the woman died. 28 "In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her."

Matthew 22:29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 "I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

            The Sadducees question Jesus about the Resurrection

FULFILLMENT/USE of Exodus 3:6

• The Kingdom of Heaven is All About Loving God First

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, ""YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "Then how does David in the Spirit call Him "Lord,' saying,

44     "THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,

         "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

         UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET"'?

45 "If David then calls Him "Lord,' how is He his son?" 46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

            The Pharisees Test Jesus About the Great Commandment

JESUS quotes Deuteronomy 6:5  The "Shema," & Leviticus 19:18 

            Jesus then tests the Pharisees with the identity of the Messiah (vv. 41-46)               FULFILLMENT/USE of: Ps. 110:1

The King's People Produce Fruit

Matthew 21:12-46 (all Scripture NASB)

Purpose: King Jesus calls His people to produce fruit for His Kingdom!

• To Bear Fruit, Cleanse the House of Dead Religion

Matthew 21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, "It is written, "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." 14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant 16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. 18 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered. 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree wither all at once?" 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly 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 even if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. 22 "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

            Jesus cleanses the Temple (vv. 12-13)

                        FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 56:7; Jer. 7:11

            Jesus heals the blind and lame in the Temple (v. 14)

            Children call Jesus the Son of David = Messianic (vv. 15-16)

                        FULFILLMENT of Psalm 8:2

            Jesus heals the blind and lame, and receives praise from children

            Jesus speaks to the fruitless fig tree and teaches the disciples to HAVE FAITH

and PRAY - casting mountains into the sea (vv. 17-22 - defeating idolatry!)

• To Bear Fruit, Recognize the King's Authority & Obey

Matthew 21:23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?" 24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 "The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?" And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, "From heaven,' He will say to us, "Then why did you not believe him?' 26 "But if we say, "From men,' we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet." 27 And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, "Son, go work today in the vineyard.' 29 "And he answered, "I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, "I will, sir'; but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

One Word: Authority

Jesus teaches in the Temple and confronts to the Religious Leaders

            The chief priests and elders question the King's authority, Jesus answers with the

question about John's authority (vv. 23-27)

            One Word: Obedience

Jesus then tells them a parable about two sons and their work (vv. 28-32)

Emphasis on the kingdom of heaven and receiving God's call to believe & bear fruit

• The Kingdom Has Been Handed to You, Bear Fruit!

Matthew 21:33 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34 "When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36 "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, "They will respect my son.' 38 "But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' 39 "They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 "Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" 41 They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons."

Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,

         "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

         THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;

         THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,

         AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'?

43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

Matthew 21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

            One Word: Fruit

Jesus confronts the chief priests & Pharisees for their rejection of the Him

The parable of the landowner & the vineyard

The Kingdom is taken from them and given to those who will bear fruit

FULFILLMENT of: Isaiah 5:1; Psalm 118:22ff

King Jesus is Alive!

Matthew 27:33-28:20

(all Scriptures NASB)

Purpose: To live life in the power of our risen King Jesus Christ! 

• Events Leading up To The King's Victory Over Death

            The Crucifixion of King Jesus (Matthew 27:33-56)

                        FULFILLMENT of Psalm 22

Jesus is buried (Matthew 27:57-61)

The Pharisees and Pilate post a guard (Matthew 27:62-66)

• King Jesus Is Risen From The Dead (Matthew 28:1-10)

Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." 8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."

"Go Quickly" (Matthew 28:7) What are you waiting for?

"And Tell" (Matthew 28:7) Tell What? Jesus is risen from the dead!

"Worship!" (Matthew 28:9, 17) Mourning turned into worship! 

Salvation by King Jesus is for All Nations! (Matthew 28:16-20)

• Live life Risen!

Matthew 28:16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

            Don't Doubt! (Matthew 28:17)

            Our King Jesus Has All Authority Everywhere (Matthew 28:18)

            So GO! Go where? To all nations! (Matthew 28:19)

            Make disciples by baptizing and teaching! (Matthew 28:19-20)

            Our Living King is with us to the end of the age! (Matthew 28:20)

1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Hold Fast!

The gospel is salvation found only in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ!

Believe! Stand! Live life, in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

The King Enters Jerusalem

Matthew 21:1-11

Purpose: the triumphal entry of King Jesus, on His way to the Cross

• The Triumphal Entry of King Jesus

Matthew 21:1 When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5       "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,

         "BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,

         GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,

         EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.

            FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9 

            Messianic = The Fulfillment of Prophecy about the King

• The Crowds Proclaim Jesus the Son of David

Matthew 21:8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,

         "Hosanna to the Son of David;

         BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD;

         Hosanna in the highest!"

10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

            FULFILLMENT of Psalm 118:26

            Messianic = The Fulfillment of Prophecy about the King

            Hosanna = Save, I Pray!

The King's Only Way of Salvation!

Matthew 19:1 "“ 20:16

Purpose: everything in life, marriage and salvation, is about faithfulness to the King

• King Jesus on Faithfulness in Marriage - Against Divorce

Matthew 19:1 When Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2 and large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." 10 The disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry." 11 But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 "For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."

            FULLFILLED MEANING of Genesis 2:24; See also Matthew 5:31-32

To argue for divorce when the teaching is against divorce shows hardness of heart!

• King Jesus Blesses Little Children

Matthew 19:13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.

            See Matthew 18:1-14 "such as these" = disciples

• The Gospel of King Jesus: Who Can Have Eternal Life?

Matthew 19:16 And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17 And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

Matthew 19:23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The rich young ruler was very poor!

• Eternal Life is About Faithfulness to the King!

Matthew 19:27 Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?" 28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 "But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 "When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went. 5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day long?' 7 "They said to him, "Because no one hired us.' He said to them, "You go into the vineyard too.' 8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, "Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.' 9 "When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. 10 "When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 "When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, "These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' 13 "But he answered and said to one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 "Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?' 16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last.

            The poor disciples are very rich! Compare this to the poor rich man!

Having left everything, the disciples are promised many times more (19:29)

Eternal life is the issue throughout (19:16, 21, 23-24, 26, esp. 29)

            The first will be last and the last, first (19:30 & 20:16)               

            Jesus and the Kingdom Parable of the Master, the Laborers, and the Vineyard

            This parable is about discipleship and eternal life, being "last" is "first"!

The King's Forgiving Community

Matthew 18:15-35

Purpose: Christians must be faithful and forgiving members of the King's Church

• Realizing Reconciliation in the King's Church

Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

            Jesus teaches on Discipline and Prayer as Binding in the Church & Heaven   

The Path of Discipline: 1) in private, 2) with witnesses, 3) in the church (vv. 15-17) 

                        FULFILLMENT of Deuteronomy 19:15

            Binding by agreement and prayer (vv. 18-20)

• King Jesus Shows What Real Reconciliation Looks Like

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, "Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' 27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, "Pay back what you owe.' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, "Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 30 "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, "You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 "Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' 34 "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35 "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

            King Jesus tells Peter to forgive 70 X 7 (vv. 21-22)

King Jesus Teaches the Parable of the Forgiving King

            The Parable of the Forgiving King and the Wicked Debtor (vv. 23-34)

            Jesus concludes that the Father will do the same if you do not forgive (v. 35)

            See 2 Corinthians 5:16-21