Day of Reckoning

Matthew 23:1-15

In The Book of the Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, Jesus provides a very intense and thorough evaluation of His church.

In that evaluation, we see the importance of the church to Jesus Christ, and how concerned He is for even the slightest variance from what is needed in the church to produce disciples. It’s a pretty tough evaluation. 5 of the 7 churches are severely chastised and commanded to repent. (The church?)

In Malachi, God says through the prophet He desires, “Godly offspring.”

This is also Jesus’ greatest concern for the “church” of His day – the Jewish faith system. They are not reproducing themselves out of the world; they are reproducing themselves of the world.

How can such a worldly entity produce Godly offspring?

How can a religious operation headed by hypocrisy and deceit be expected to bring lost people into saving relationship with God? What is the point of growth in numbers – should it come – if the growth is not unto God’s righteousness but unto man’s edifice?

This is what Jesus addresses in Matthew, chapter 23. This should be an uncomfortable chapter for all of us. One of things we most powerfully see is Jesus knows everything about what takes place in His church, and that He is evaluating His church for its integrity and efficacy. Is His church making disciples? If not, why not?

And now it comes down to our individual lives doesn’t it? The Bible assures us one day each believer will stand before Christ for evaluation of heavenly reward. Each unbeliever will stand before the great white throne for evaluation of punishment. Matthew 23 assures us nothing escapes Jesus’ notice, especially motive, for good or for bad.

Jesus’ evaluation of the scribes and Pharisees should be a wake-up call for all of us.

-Pastor Bill

General Inspection

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" 21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. 23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her." 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." 33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. 34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." 41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." 43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 44 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.    

“Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John the Baptist had seen enough. The Holy Spirit had informed him, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

Inspection passed, Jesus is, without doubt – at least for John the Baptist – the long-promised Messiah. The Son of David. The Son of Man. The Lamb of God.

Why do others struggle so? Remember the Law of the Passover, that the lamb was to be invited into the home on the 10th day of the month and kept close until the 14th day of the month, when the lamb would be slaughtered?

Those 4 days were very important for the Jews, as those would be the days when they would become assured of the perfection of the Passover lamb by way of inspection.

Jesus - The Lamb of God come to take away the sins of the world – has entered Jerusalem on the 10th day of the month. History teaches us He will be crucified on the 14th day. In that period of time He is inspected for perfection by those charged with killing Him.

One intent on murder is different than one intent on wisdom. In this series of inspections for perfection, Jesus responds in such amazing ways, one cannot help but gain the wisdom of God from what He says – unless your heart is hard, and your mind is completely closed.

How could they NOT see Jesus as their long-promised Messiah, based upon these answers alone? The responses Jesus provides to their questions are both startling and disarming. They are living proof the questioners are in the presence of The Living God. No one else could conceive of such perfect answers to such difficult questions. Jesus must be the Messiah. There is no other answer. He is without blemish, and without spot. And The Holy Spirit testifies to the wisdom of these answers to anyone who will listen.

-Pastor Bill

God’s Father

Hosea 14:1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, "Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods.' For in You the fatherless finds mercy." 4 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. 6 His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. 7 Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 "Ephraim shall say, 'What have I to do anymore with idols?' I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me." 9 Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them.

God has a heart for fathers.

The very title He has chosen for Himself - of all those He could have had us refer to Him by – is ‘Father.’

If there is anyone to be chosen as a role model for fathers and fatherhood, it is God Himself.

God indicates His great concern for the role of fatherhood by His great concern for the fatherless.

43 times in His word, God refers to the plight of the fatherless. In fact, one of the main reasons He chose to judge the nation of Israel is because they did not care for the fatherless children in their midst.

In the Book of James, the Holy Spirit tells us concern for the fatherless is one of the marks of “true religion.” In other words, if you are truly seeking the heart of God, one of the marks of that seeking will be a true concern for those who are fatherless.

In our “modern” age, we have begun to think fathers may not be necessary at all. (Perhaps this was part of Israel’s crime as well.) We say that anyone can raise a child, and that two women or two men doing that job are as equipped as the standard nuclear family to accomplish all that is needed in child-raising.

We have replaced confusion for care and concern. Who is the author of confusion?

That we may have a concern for the fatherless tells us how concerned we are to be for our own actions as fathers. In full definition, a ‘father’ is much more than biological, and this is probably the strongest indication of what God is driving at in His judgment of the people over their lack of concern for the fatherless.

In short, His concern is for the children, plain and simple. The innocent victims of fatherlessness – and most of all the Godlessness of fatherlessness – have always been God’s children. It takes a Godly father to raise a Godly child. Are you God’s father to His children?

-Pastor Bill

The Invitation

Matthew 22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

Jesus next tells a parable involving a wedding invitation.

God’s invitations are different than man’s.

In many cases, when we send an invitation, it is in reality the solicitation of a gift, (according to our culture.) Now, while this may sound a bit crass, it is also true. Very cultured, though.

The receipt of an invitation to a wedding, or a graduation, tells us we are known, we are loved, we are accepted, we are invited to attend, and…we are also invited to go somewhere and pick something up to bring with us or send in the mail. A check will do nicely.

SOMETIMES, the invitation is accompanied by directions about where we may shop to purchase what the one who sent the invitation desires to receive. When we get to the store, we are invited to consult a registry containing ONLY those things which are desired to be received. Very practical. Very congenial. Very cultured.

It keeps the one sending the invitation from having to return the gift you are expected to provide, because you brought with you something they did not need or desire. That would be terrible.

When God offers an invitation, it is all on Him to provide all the characteristics of what the invitation entails. All He desires is you. He even gives you all the gifts He desires to receive, according to the invitation.

And God does not distinguish. He invites everyone. He desires all to come to His ‘Wedding Party,’ and He welcomes all those who will come. He only requires you come according to His “dress code.” In this case, the clothing choice is not merely symbolic – it is a revelation of the condition of the heart of the one responding to His invitation. Will you come? Will you come according to His design?

-Pastor Bill