Ready in Waiting

Matthew 25:1-13

In Matthew 24:36-44, Jesus employed the Hebrew wedding ceremony as an example of how it is Christ will return for His Church.

Given His pictorial representation of the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church in the Olivette Discourse, those who heard His words at the time He spoke them may have been confused about any allusion to The Church - but they would not have been confused when they heard His words pertaining to Hebrew wedding customs.

Everyone would have understood everything He said pertaining to any references He made concerning the groom returning for his bride. (They would know nothing of The Church because it did not exist yet.)

On the other hand, from our vantage point, (which is a very privileged position in time,) we can see The Church clearly, but know little or nothing about Hebrew wedding customs. We must learn of the Hebrew wedding customs in Jesus’ time in order to more fully understand what Jesus teaches about the pre-tribulation Rapture of The Church.

Here, in Matthew 25, Jesus extends His teaching on the subject. (The Olivette Discourse continues in this chapter.)

Lest any in The Church doubt Jesus is speaking of a Hebrew wedding in His teaching about The Rapture, Jesus drives the point home as He continues speaking.

Without directly talking of a wedding as He talked all about a wedding previously, here He speaks directly of a Hebrew wedding to reinforce the illustration for those who need to understand exactly what He is talking about.

Previously He spoke about the required readiness in waiting for His return, (which will come at an hour “My Father only” knows,) He now teaches us exactly what is required to be considered “ready.” This we need to know more than anything in life.

There is no mistaking what Jesus says here. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit when Christ returns (as a groom) for His Church. And the ONLY way I may be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be born again. There are no exceptions. Being in church is not enough.

-Pastor Bill

Always Be Ready for the Wedding

Matthew 24:36-51

Arranged marriage is no longer practiced in this time in this country.

But throughout history, (and even in this country in earlier times,) arranged marriage was not only practiced – it was common. There are countries in the world today, (India in particular,) where arranged marriage is still widely practiced.

In Israel, in Christ’s time, arranged marriage was common. When Jesus begins to speak of the Rapture of the Church, (admittedly in a veiled way,) He uses the motif of a Hebrew wedding ceremony to explain what is about to happen when His Church is caught up to heaven.

He speaks of this in a couple ways: 1) That no one knows the day or the hour of the “ceremony” but the Father, and 2) That those who are a part of the wedding party need to always have “oil” in their lamps.

How fascinating Jesus speaks of the Rapture of the Church as a wedding ceremony!

Indeed, when we look over in Rev 19 we see that we, (The Church,) are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We also read in the New Testament that His Church is referred to as the “Bride of Christ.” Is it any wonder we teach a personal relationship with Christ? Can religion fit into this scenario at all? (As Paul might say, “Absolutely not!”)

And so we go on with our lives knowing at any moment Christ will return for His Church. Since the restoration of Israel in 1948, there is not a single prophetic declaration remaining in God’s Word which must be fulfilled prior to the Rapture of the Church. Indeed, the Rapture of the Church is the next event on God’s prophetic calendar - and it is imminent.

Therefore we must always be ready for Christ to return for His bride - at the very moment His Father instructs Him to. We must be as careful as one watching for “a thief in the night.” We have little time to tell our friends and loved ones about Christ. We need to be wary of His soon return. And when He comes, what will I be found doing?

-Pastor Bill

Still God’s Chosen People

Matthew 24:15-35

Some have said God is finished with the Jewish people, due to their rejection of Him and because, (so they say,) “they crucified His Son.”

They are wrong.

People who were Jewish may have been physically involved in the crucifixion of Christ, but it was our sin that killed Him. We are ALL guilty of His death. The Bible teaches us Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to bear the sins of mankind, and to make Himself an offering for sin.

The same ones who say God is finished with the Jewish people also say The Church has replaced Israel in Bible prophecy – and that all of God’s Word which speaks of Israel yet future actually speaks of Israel only as a type of The Church, which The Church now fulfills by its existence. These people were literally upset when Israel came back into the land in 1948, claiming Israel no longer had any right to exist.

They are wrong about that too.

Of the most prominent observable facts of Matthew 24 are Jesus’ declarations pertaining to Israel, (the Jews,) yet future. God is not finished with the Jewish people – and God is certainly not finished with Israel, and The Church has certainly NOT replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. He still has His eye of love upon them. (Paul amplifies God’s love for the Jews yet future in Romans 9 – 11.)

Many are confused by Jesus employing the term “elect” as He speaks of the Jewish people in this passage – incorrectly thinking the use of ‘elect’ always refers to The Church, since The Church is referred to by that term so often in the New Testament. But God’s Word also refers to the Jews as ‘the elect of God,’ as well as those tribulation saints yet future.

Jesus warns us early on in Matthew 24 not to be deceived about end-times events. One of the most prominent deceptions historically has been about God being finished with the Jewish people. Jesus dispels that notion completely in Matthew 24:15-35.

-Pastor Bill

Signs of the End

Matthew 24:1-14

Imagine being sort of a tour-guide, so-to-speak, and having the opportunity to “show” Jesus the temple, and to explain to Him the wonder of its majesty and creation.

I used to have these kinds of opportunities growing up in Washington, D.C. A summer never went by when we didn’t receive visits from family and friends from far off places who came to visit with us and “see the sights.”

Our job would be to take them downtown, and give them a tour of the impressive buildings which represent our great nation, as well as the museums and other assorted facilities that people always wanted to see.

I imagine it was much like that for the disciples, as they came to Jesus to show Him the buildings of the temple.

It is one thing to be very impressed with the buildings, (as I always was and still am with those in Washington, D.C.,) it is quite another to have the opportunity to share how impressive those buildings are with someone else.

Jesus responded to their ‘tour’ in an unexpected way: “Do you see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Well then…

Rather than being impressed with the architecture - Jesus prophecies its total destruction.

I’m sure Jesus’ words would have been very upsetting to those with Him, as this building is so impressive, and it represents so MUCH to the Jewish people – but mostly because the things Jesus says always seem to come true.

Now the chief concern becomes, when will this be?

-Pastor Bill

A Healthy Dose of Reality

Matthew 23:16-39

Jesus has taken off the wraps and waded into the heat of the battle, and the battlefield is the heart and soul of man. For too long, Satan has had free reign, leading men to hell - all the while thinking they were on the right path for heaven.

Jesus completely dispels any notion that a religious foundation has any merit whatsoever. Religion is, in fact, a detriment to your Spiritual condition. Religion, as demonstrated by these religious leaders present before Jesus on this day, exalts the flesh – and this makes it even more dangerous to the cause of Christ.

Just look at the difficulty these religious leaders had hearing the words of Christ – which are literally the words of God. Will your religion prevent you from hearing the words of God? The answer is, sadly: Yes.

Religion is an invention of man to approximate the presence of God. It has the look of piety, the feel of reverence, the smell of dominion, and the quiet of patience and meditation bursting forth into soaring songs of praise which stimulate the hearing of the mind. The buildings are dramatic and soaring, and they reach out to touch the very face of God in the imagination of the mind. Remember the Tower of Babel?

But religion has no answer for sin. Religion becomes the cause of suffering rather than the relief of it. Religion has no place for grace, and no understanding of it. The central premise of all religion and what every religion stands for is this: What man can do. (And man can do some very outwardly beautiful things.) The problem is inside he is filled with dead men’s bones and all kinds of filth.

Jesus states the obvious, unavoidable truth. You must turn away from religion, religious tradition, and religious practice to acknowledge the love of the living God. It has never been about what you can do for God – it has ALWAYS been about what He has done for you – and there’s not a single thing you can add to it. Religion = Death. God’s loving grace = Life.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!” Religion will do whatever it takes to maintain its history. How does religion affect you?

-Pastor Bill

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