Sermons

Persevering to the End

Date Preached: May 23, 2021

Series: Matthew

Speaker: Dr. Cory Gonyo

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Persevering to the End

Matthew 25

Purpose: Three parables, one meaning, the King's disciples follow Him to the very end!

King Jesus Tells the Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5 "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 "But at midnight there was a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 "The foolish said to the prudent, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the prudent answered, "No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 "Later the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, lord, open up for us.' 12 "But he answered, "Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."

Waiting for a bridegroom to arrive is filled with great expectation

It's an honor to be a guest

The prudent are prepared! Live your life with the end in view!

The foolish are lazy, too little, too late, and are not allowed at the wedding feast

Live your life patiently expecting the return of Jesus Christ

Live your life knowing the return of Jesus Christ will come unexpectedly

King Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money."

Matthew 25:19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, "Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

Matthew 25:22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, "Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

Matthew 25:24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 "And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'

Matthew 25:26 "But his master answered and said to him, "You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 "Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 "Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'

Matthew 25:29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is all about your stewardship of life itself

All of life is given by God, and must be surrendered back unto God

Be faithful with what God gives you now"¦

Knowing that you must give an account to Him later!

How are you investing your life in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ? Discipleship!

How are you investing the gospel in the lives of others? Evangelism!

Do you view your whole life as a worshipful offering unto God?

The faithful servant enters into the joy of the Master!

The unfaithful servant is thrown into the outer darkness!

The Parable about Separating the Sheep from the Goats

Matthew 25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

Matthew 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 "And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 "When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

King Jesus teaches about the final judgment of all the nations

The sheep described, and their great reward (vv. 34-40)

The goats described, and their great punishment (vv. 41-46)

What you do unto the least of His brothers, you do to Jesus (vv. 40, 45)

There are only two options, both eternal, fire punishment or life! (vv. 41, 46)

Secure in Christ

Matthew 24:29-51 (NASB)

Purpose: True believers are secure in Christ to the end!

King Jesus Gathers His Own!

Matthew 24:29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Jesus the King's primary concern is for His followers to remain faithful, preaching the

gospel to all the nations, enduring to the end (Matthew 24:4, 6, 13-14, 20, 23-28).

Central Idea = True followers "endure to the end" and are "saved" (v. 13)
Do not believe or follow false Christs or false prophets (vv. 24-26)
Do believe in and wait for the true Jesus Christ! (vv. 25, 30-31)
Instead of worrying about the "end times," we should be faithful and obedient to preach the gospel to all the nations! (v. 14)
"Immediately after the tribulation" (vv. 29-31)
- FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 13:10, 24:23; Ez. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15ff
- FULFILLMENT of Daniel 7:13
- FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 27:13; Zech. 9:14 (see Ex. 19:16; Deut. 30:4)

No One Knows the Time!

Matthew 24:32 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Therefore, Be on Alert, Faithful, and Sensible!

Matthew 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 "But if that evil slave says in his heart, "My master is not coming for a long time,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Main Teachings of this Passage:

You've been warned, you should be prepared (vv. 32-35)
- Christ's words will not pass away (v. 35)
"No one knows" the day or hour (vv. 36-41)
The command to "be on alert" (v. 42)
Be a "faithful and sensible" servant of the King (vv. 45-47)
Do not be a negligent servant (vv. 48-50)
"Therefore" we must be about the Master's work! (vv. 42-51)

The King's Reign

Matthew 24 (NASB)

Purpose: Don't be misled, but endure to the end following King Jesus only!

King Jesus Prophesies the Fall of the Temple

Matthew 24:1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."

King Jesus Calls for Endurance, Don't be Misled by False Teachers!

Matthew 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. 6 "You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Matthew 24:9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. 13 "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 "Then if anyone says to you, "Behold, here is the Christ,' or "There He is,' do not believe him. 24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 "Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 "So if they say to you, "Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, "Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them. 27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

Matthew 24:29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Main Teachings of this Passage:

King Jesus gives a prophetic answer of warning and timing (vv. 4-14)
Central Command = "See to it that no one misleads you." (vv. 4-5, 11, 24)
- because many false Christ's will come (vv. 5, 23-24)
Central Idea = True followers "endure to the end" and are "saved" (v. 13)
Do not believe or follow false Christs or false prophets (vv. 24-26)
Do believe in and wait for the true Jesus Christ! (vv. 25, 30-31)
Instead of worrying about the "end times," we should be faithful and obedient to preach the gospel to all the nations! (v. 14)
Further implications of this time, note "therefore" and "then" (vv. 15-28)
- The abomination prophesied by Daniel (v. 15)
- FULFILLMENT of Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11
- A great tribulation (v. 21)
- Warning against false Christ's reiterated (v. 23)
"Immediately after the tribulation" (vv. 29-31)
- FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 13:10, 24:23; Ez. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15ff
- FULFILLMENT of Daniel 7:13
- FULFILLMENT of Isaiah 27:13; Zech. 9:14 (see Ex. 19:16; Deut. 30:4)

King Jesus Teaches About the End

Matthew 24:32 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

Matthew 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 "But if that evil slave says in his heart, "My master is not coming for a long time,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Main Teachings of this Passage:

You've been warned, you should be prepared (vv. 32-35)
- Christ's words will not pass away (v. 35)
"No one knows" the day or hour (vv. 36-41)
The command to "be on alert" (v. 42)
Be a "faithful and sensible" servant of the King (vv. 45-47)
Do not be a negligent servant (vv. 48-50)
"Therefore" we must be about the Master's work! (vv. 42-51)

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

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