May 13, 2018 A Whole Lot Of Estimating Going On by Pastor Josh Sheldon

Matthew 11 and the Question of Who Jesus Is

Open your Bibles please to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 11 verses 1 through 24 will be our Text for this morning. Matthew 11 1 through 24 as we go through this We need to understand that the Gospels we have four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John and In one sense they all work together to make this one inquiry.

It's sort of this What do you make of Jesus? What do you? Individual what do you believe or what do you who doesn't believe in Jesus? What do you make of him? I? titled this sermon a whole lot of estimating going on as.

There's an estimate of John to Jesus Jesus to John. The people to Jesus and John and then Jesus to the people. There's a lot of estimating going on here in Matthew chapter 11, and it's really coming coming to ask us to ask you to impose upon you this one overriding question.

How do you estimate Jesus? What then do you say of Jesus? Who do you say he is? In the synoptic Gospels and synoptic only means sin meaning one or together and optic meaning view. So when I say Synoptic all I mean is the three synoptic Gospels that takes sort of the same view of Christ.

They seem to have come from a lot of common original sources. They're synoptic Matthew Mark and Luke, and then there's the fourth gospel John so when I say synoptics. That's all I mean is those three books that have a common approach.

In Mark's book he is the man of determination and action. Many scholars think that that was written to appeal to the Roman man. The man's man the one who says if I'm going west I'm going west and I'm not gonna turn an inch south or north.

I'm determined I make decisions and then I go forth. The man's man the man of action and Mark uses immediately Jesus did this and immediately Jesus did that in his gospel in Luke's gospel. It's the universality of Christ's mission.

That's the key not meaning you've never not meaning universalism. Which says that everybody is saved regardless of their faith, that's not what I mean by universality, but that The gospel makes no distinction of sex or race or wealth or religion.

John's gospel highlights Jesus deity his godhood. We read much in John's gospel about the glory that is Christ's due as the eternal Son of God as we often say God the Son emphasis mine. He is God The Son and we also have God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and that's one of John's great emphases.

Matthew's gospel. From where I took the this morning's verses. Matthew's gospel is more like the hymn come thou long-expected Jesus born to set thy people free. Matthew spends a lot of ink a lot of effort to show us that Christ is the prophesied the promised one.

That he descends from Abraham that he descends from David that he is the one who for so many ages was alluded to promised and prophesied in the Old Testament. Matthew spends All this effort and all this time.

So that we can know and we can say with confidence that Christ that Christ Jesus is the focus of all the scriptures. Which is what Christ says of himself at the end of Luke's gospel in chapter 22 the prophets and Moses and the writings and the wisdom and the prophecies and the genealogies and the begats and the begots all about him.

Peter's bedrock confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God is reported in the three synoptics Matthew Mark and Luke. But only in Matthew only in Matthew in chapter 16, and we're not going to go there this morning.

But just for background only in this gospel. Do we have Jesus saying that that confession of Peter that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God? That confession is the rock on which Jesus will build his church.

And so all these verses all these Gospels all this preaching. All this effort. Really kind of focuses in on this one question. What do you make of Jesus? How do you estimate him? What do you call him?

How do you estimate Jesus Christ? We're in Matthew 16 15. We have Jesus asking the disciples, but who do you say that I am? These verses in 11 1 through 24. Some five chapters before that great confession of Peter.

They have us ask. Have us asking him who he is. We're going to go through this in four parts. We have John the Baptist's estimate estimate of Jesus. That's verses 2 and 3. We have Jesus's estimate of John which is verses 4 through 15.

Then we have the people's estimate of Jesus and John for that matter in verses 16 through 19 and. Then Christ's estimate of the people in verses 20 through 24. And if chapter 16 comes somewhat after this just before this chapter in chapter 10 We need to remember that the Lord had just sent his disciples out to proclaim to Israel.

He said don't go to the Samaritans. Don't go to the Gentiles go to Israel and proclaim to them that in me the kingdom has come and He gave them authority over unclean spirits. And they said they had authority and power to heal every disease and every affliction.

In short they had in chapter 10 his power to perform miracles. We have there a precursor of what the Apostles would do after Christ's ascension. Where the Holy Spirit would come upon them and they would continue the work of Christ in just the way that they're seeing here as a preview of it.

So then now in chapter 11 with them with the disciples out on their mission. Declaring that the kingdom has come in Christ Jesus the Lord. We finally come to chapter 11 this morning's verses and Verse 1 we read when Jesus had finished instructing his 12 disciples.

He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. In other words. He's apart from the disciples. He didn't go with them. So in chapter 11 which we're going to attend to this morning. He's there by himself.

Augustine points out here. He says he meaning Christ. He withdrew himself to give them which is the disciples to give them room to do what he had enjoined. For while he was present and healing no one would be willing to approach them.

It would be like in John chapter 11 where they come and say sir or sirs. We wish to see Jesus and if Jesus was there he being the one that was causing all the fur all the excitement. Well, why would you rather see Peter or John or Thaddeus or any of the others you'd want to see?

Jesus. Well, that'd be natural. So Jesus is now alone. With this crowd of anxious inquirers seekers when I say and The first ones that he answers are the ones who have been sent to him by John the Baptist it's a bit of interesting note if you look at this that The Messiah that Christ had just in chapter 10 as I explained sent out his disciples his emissaries.

That John the Baptist at the beginning of the next chapter. Sends his disciples he the Baptist who many thought was the Christ. I says no, I'm not he. I am NOT worthy to untie his sandals. I'm not the one I'm pointing to the one.

I'm not him, but he the one that many thought had been the Christ is sending his disciples. So both are sending them out and John's come to Christ. So we find here John's estimate of Jesus. How does John estimate Jesus?

We read in verse 2 now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ. Now remember why he's in prison. He told Herod you cannot have your brother's wife. Quoting the Old Testament law to this king.

He was so angry with him that he put him in prison. John's about to be beheaded for having done that. So Jesus heard that John is in prison or excuse me. John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ.

He sent word by his disciples and said to him. Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another? The question comes again. How do you estimate the Christ? What think ye of him. And Jesus answered them and Said go and tell John what you hear and see the blind receive their sight and the lame walk.

Lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear and the dead are raised up and the poor have the good news preached to them. And Blessed is the one who is not offended by me. Who is he saying here? He's saying he's proven by the miracles that he's performed the healings that he has done the proclamation of the good news of himself.

That he is that very one. What do we have? John chapter 9 a man born blind sees Luke 17 when ten lepers come to him and they're cleansed. It is no less incredible than eyesight to a man born blind. I mean leprosy was the most dreaded of all diseases.

It was given to Moses when he kept answering back to God at the burning bush. It was given to Mary Miriam when she rebelled against Moses. When King Uzziah's pride lifted its ugly head. He was given this ugly disease.

He died. He died with his whole body as a memorial to what sin does there's no disease in that day that more clearly showed the ravages and the ugliness and the sheer putridness of Sin. Then did leprosy.

And what did Christ say to those lepers in John 17? Those ten who came said Lord have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on us. Then walk through the streets shouting out unclean unclean so people keep out of their way.

Jesus simply says go show yourselves to the priests. Who but the Christ could have done that and we don't know how he cleansed them. It doesn't say that he waved his hand over them. He didn't put mud on their bodies as he put mud on the one blind man's eye.

He didn't say a prayer. He didn't say Oh Lord God that you would cleanse. He just said go to the priest. Clearly by his word simply by the enactment of his will that these ten should be cleansed. They were cleansed.

He says go show yourselves to the priest and of course they were clean and to Christ's Disciples then as now he says already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Who but the Christ?

It's what Jesus sort of says to these disciples of John who but the Christ Could do this. And the point is simply that only God could have done such things and only the Messiah the Christ was Prophesied to do them so the answer to John's disciples is not so much a yes, or a no.

It's more like just tell him what I've done, and he'll get the point. There's a variety of opinions on why John sent them to ask Jesus about him. In Calvin of course in the 16th century in the 1500s. He reports that some men in his day thought that John wanted to know what?

After his execution and his arrival in heaven what he should tell the father's up there the Saints in heaven. After he was executed about the Christ. You know there's. The speculation was what should I tell them about you when I get there that you really are the Christ?

That doesn't seem to have a lot of credibility, but Calvin seemed to have to argue against that. Others more rationally, but still wrongly. I think think that John had doubts and wanted to confirm whether Jesus was really the Christ or was another coming and others I'm about to die.

Herod's not gonna put up with me rebuking him my heads coming off fairly soon. Or he didn't. I don't know if he knew he's gonna be beheaded, but he knew he was gonna be executed. Did I point people to the right one?

That's the idea and this would make some sense. You'd be curious if you'd finished the race. That's more rational than that first theory about John wanting to know what to tell the Saints in there in heaven about him as he was on earth.

But I don't think it fits. Here's what I think. I think John the Baptist was concerned that his disciples be assured that Jesus was the Christ. I think he wanted to be sure that in their eyes He the Baptist became less and Jesus the Christ became more.

He was about to be poured out to borrow from Paul in 2nd Timothy. So it makes sense for a pastor's heart to be that his flock his disciples be secure and confident in what? That Jesus was the Christ. I don't believe John the Baptist for a moment doubted that he sent them so they would not doubt it so they would hear from Christ's own lips about the miracles and the preaching of the gospel that they would see for themselves and that they Would be left with that sureness with that confidence.

John sent them for their sake not his own and. This concern is actually validated if you look ahead into Acts chapter 19 when Paul's in Ephesus. And in Ephesus he finds some of John the Baptist's disciples.

And he says did you receive the Holy Spirit. And we didn't even know there was a Holy Spirit. And so Paul preaches to them and they hear the whole gospel and they hear about Christ is the Christ. Jesus was the Christ.

Jesus died for your sins and Jesus was buried and Jesus was raised on the third day for your justification. And now is ascended and sits in glory at his father's right hand. So the fact that Paul in Acts chapter 19 needed to fill them on in on the rest to show them the better way Would confirm that John might have sent those disciples to Christ so they Would have that confidence.

So they would know this is the pastor's heart for his flock. This is the reason that we watch over this pulpit both when I am here when Conley preaches when guest preachers come in. What is it? We want you to know that Jesus is the Christ is a good starting point.

Is it not? Well, how then shall we live. We'll walk in holiness we'll walk in circumspection. We'll walk in the gift of the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5. What do I want you to know. What does my heart bleed for you to know that Jesus is the Christ?

What do I trust the men who were given this pulpit as guest preachers here or a faithful brother Conley when he preaches here fairly regularly. To know that Jesus is a Christ the Son of God who died for your sins and God raised him up.

There's a pastor's heart. This was John's heart that they would know that he is who John said. He was when John said behold the Lamb of God and before what Jesus read to you a little bit ago. He said behold the Lamb of God.

Who what? Takes away the sin of the world. John had no doubt. He wanted to be sure his disciples had no doubt. Verses 7 and Following have Jesus estimate of John as he turns to the crowd and explains to the crowd about this one who sent his disciples to them as They went away.

Verse 7 as they went away Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John. What did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind in other words? Did you think he was gonna go at the flow?

Compromises message make it more palatable for you. What did you go out to see? What did you think he was going to say to you? He's going to say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What then did you go out to see a Man dressed in soft clothing.

Behold those who wear soft clothing are in Kings houses. What then did you go out to see a prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written behold I send my messenger before your face.

Who will prepare your way before you know, this is God the Father speaking to God the Son. I the father. Will send my messenger and that of course you're referring back to Malachi's prophecy. Fulfilled in John the Baptist.

I will send my messenger before your now. That's Christ before your face who will prepare your way before you. John the Baptist the herald the final herald of the Christ. The Baptist was promised was the promised herald who would finish Malachi's message.

What does a herald do. A herald repeats his Sovereign's message exactly as John the Baptist most certainly did about God's message about his son. But that doesn't mean he understood it fully does it? John was the end of the line of prophets that first Peter for chapter 1 verses 10 and to 12 are about.

With prophets and angels wondering about the salvation that God was revealing over the centuries through them. I love this picture of the angels longing to understand. What's being written by the prophets where they're on their tiptoes and looking over the shoulder?

Let me read first Peter to you chapter 1 verses 10 through 12. Concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully. Inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not them. But you in the things that now have been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you. By the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things into which angels long to look.

Can you imagine that? John the Baptist didn't have it all. He's the greatest prophet. We'll talk about that in a moment and Angels are still on their tiptoes and they're looking over and say do you see that?

What is he writing there something like and I says what exactly but something like for by grace you've been saved. And the angels who know nothing about salvation. Because Christ didn't die for them. He died for people.

He died for the elect. He died for those whom God gave him. They say for by grace. You've been saved. What do you think of that? They will just run back up to heaven and join the cherubim the seraphim call.

Holy. Holy. Holy Lord God Almighty Author of a salvation like this and then they run back down and Not of works. It is the gift of God That no one should boast and they run back up to heaven and sing more glory and holiness to God.

And come back and find out that Christ would die to save unworthy sinners. This is angels peering over and wondering what this is. This is the prophets Who have just this Beginning picture this glance of the glories of Christ of whom they're prophesying.

Even if John the Baptist didn't understand it all. He saw it all in God in the flesh in Jesus Christ. I don't think he was confused as some might say, but we must say that he absolutely could not have understood the whole Picture.

And why was John the Baptist's? picture deficient. Why did his disciples not have it? Also in Acts 19 Paul had to preach to them the rest of the gospel if you will. What was missing if this was Sunday school?

I'd say in the class said and I would hope you would all shout out to me the resurrection. You can't understand it all without the resurrection without the certainty that Jesus rose from the get. The grave and the very next verse says truly I say to you.

This is Jesus speaking among those born of women. There is arisen. No one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Think about that the one least in the kingdom of heaven.

The one who while on earth would have been pushed to the back of the line. The one who while here striving with all might and main might have gotten a B average in school. That one now in heaven greater than the greatest of the prophets.

How so? Why is the least one in heaven greater than John the Baptist. Because they know the resurrection. Because they're in heaven now seeing our Lord face to face. The least in heaven is Greater than the greatest prophet.

Because of that and just as a brief excursus for you. The science of hermeneutics which is used not just for the Bible. They talk about the hermeneutic of the Constitution for legal scholars. Hermeneutic just means your science your way of interpretation.

What method do you apply to something? So we took a talk about hermeneutics in this context or simply talk about biblical interpretation and when you're in a passage or a verse if you're in Exodus or the genealogies of first Chronicles or In one of the difficult parts of Job or the prophets or anywhere in the scripture and you having a hard time figuring it out.

Well, you can come to Myself you can come to our budding scholar our faithful deacon and ask about the Greek and the Hebrew syntax and some church history. It might help you and maybe one of the church fathers had an insight that could help us unpack a verse.

But I'll tell you a simpler way and I found that it works quite well a lot of the time if not every time. It's the resurrection the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ answers a whole lot and That's why the least in heaven is greater than the greatest of prophets because the least in heaven knows the resurrection because they're there.

They're seeing Jesus face to face. Which is greater than the greatest prophet from the days of John the Baptist. Jesus goes on until now. The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent have taken it By force for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John and if you're willing to accept it He is Elijah who is to come he who has ears let him hear John wasn't Elijah Reincarnated or anything silly like that.

Elijah was exceeded Succeeded excuse me by Elisha and these two together made one whole ministry to Israel. This is fairly common in the scripture that we have two different men to make one movement of God.

So you would have Moses who does what he brings the people to? The promised land and you have Joshua who completes God's promise to Israel to deliver them to the land and the land to them. So he brings them into the land so Moses and Joshua together make this one fulfillment of God's promises.

David and his son Solomon together are one. Elijah to Elisha are one ministry so John the Baptist Didn't have to have any Real spiritual or DNA if you will kind of connection to Elijah. He's just the one who God Designated to complete the prophecy of Malachi or of Elijah excuse me Great as these prophets were.

They only gave glimpses of the Christ. In John the Baptist's prophetic work though the illusions were over. This is why he's the greatest Jesus the Christ had come. John was more than a prophet because he brought prophecy to its Ultimate and his glorious conclusion when he pointed and said behold the Lamb of God the one who all the prophets longed for and They wondered what manner and what type and when would come and how would he look and what would he do?

All these things and John said there. He is The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's why Jesus's estimate of John is that there was none greater. He wasn't really a greater or even a better man than his forerunners, but in God's decree He was given the greatest message.

There is Jesus. So the least in heaven is greater than John the Baptist in that way. I tell you something I take out of this. I'm greater than John the Baptist at least John the Baptist while he was on this earth and So is our brother Conley who preaches from this pulpit.

And why is that because we preach to you something very different than Christ has come. We preach that Christ died for your sins and rose again. We preach to you That if you will but believe this glorious message You will be saved men all over this world are on this Lord's Day proclaiming this gospel and Because we can proclaim this gospel and not say just as John the Baptist did there is the Christ.

He is the one we can say he is the one who did something that John the Baptist didn't see. I Don't know how much of it. He knew. I Don't know how much of the prophecies he was able to say well Christ will go to a cross and die for our sins including my own and Be raised again on the third day and then be glorified by his ascension to heaven.

I don't know how much of that John the Baptist knows. But I do know this or so you should say knew because if he's in heaven now, he knows. I Know that we preached you a Christ who came and a Christ who died and a Christ who was buried and a Christ who was raised.

And a Christ who is now ascended and if you will but believe this I Know it's a Christ who saves you. We preach a resurrected Lord now glorified. We preach a resurrected Lord died for your sins and my sins and for everyone who will declare themselves a sinner who can be saved Only by God's mercy and grace.

This means you sinner. This means you who do not this morning believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why am I greater than John the Baptist? I don't mean as a man qualitatively. I mean the message that I have a completed message.

What is that message. You're a sinner that you sinner you rebel against God you blasphemer of his name. If you will but repent and believe this gospel that in Christ Jesus your sins were answered. Believe that he died for you and God raised him up on the third third day.

If you will but believe this message I Can tell you on the authority of God's Word you will be saved. And that's a greater message Than what John the Baptist had some 2 ,000 years ago. Well, then there's the people's estimate of Jesus.

In verse 21 Jesus says woe you Chorazin. Woe to you Bethsaida for the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon. They would have repented long ago. And sackcloth and ashes and he goes on to say that even the depraved men of Sodom.

Had they seen what the people in Jesus day saw even they would have repented. Go back and read about them in Genesis 19 and let your mouth drop in awe and wonder that oh Jesus just means that kind of metaphorically.

No, he's saying it literally. Oh, it's just court of a sort of a simile. No. He means literally those men who actually lived. The ones who tried to break down lots door to get at the angels to do something untoward with them those men.

Had they seen? What those cities what those people had seen they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus goes on but to what shall I liken or compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates.

We played the flute for you and you did not dance. We sang a dirge for you and you did not mourn. For John came neither eating nor drinking. And they say he has a demon. The son of man came eating and drinking.

They say look. Look at him a glutton and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds. John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ both rejected by the people you know.

People who oppose God people who are against him who oppose him. They always have their reasons don't they? But no matter how well-founded is their reasoning or their logic at its base it is a matter of the heart.

What is Jesus saying there? We played the flute for you. We did these things we played the dirge. You just didn't conform to our expectations. You just didn't become the Christ that I wanted to see. You're just not giving me a message that makes me feel good.

That gives me what I want. That makes me feel the way I think I should feel after I've heard a message that I think is good. No, Jesus no John. You're not what I want to see or follow. People who don't believe this gospel always have their reasons and they always seem so good.

What is the heart from which those reasons flow is what Calvin John Calvin in the? 1800s called a great factory producing nothing but excuses. It's having unreceptive and believing hearts, which is your responsibility.

You are accountable before God. For your unbelieving your hard heart against him quit. They're saying in Jesus day. Say oh that John I follow him, but he's too. Holy oh. But Jesus, you know, you don't seem to be holy enough.

Well, John drinks too little. Jesus drinks too much. John is too ascetic. Jesus is too friendly. Some hear about Jesus today. They say well, he's too tough for me. I don't like the way you preach him.

He doesn't seem to like me the way I am. Others here are false Christ who loves you just the way you are and everything's fine and. Some would say well, that's too weak to handle my sin. In a sense because those are false Christ's being preached.

They're both right, but they're all just excuses. It's all just excuses. John was no more a demoniac than Jesus was a glutton and. You you today sitting here hearing this message you detractor from Christ you you blasphemer.

You the one who's calls the church a bunch of hypocrites, and that's why I stay away. We've all heard this. I'd go to the church, but they're full of hypocrite. You the one who says you don't want to join with us.

Because we're just a bunch of holy rollers who get on your nerves. Or you the other one who says we're just way too serious about all this stuff. Why can't we loosen up a little bit? Excuses. Excuses is all it is.

See, we never said we were hip. We were not hypocrites and you know, we never made such a claim. We said the Lord hates hypocrisy and therefore we strive against it and you you know. You do know that we never said we were holier than anybody.

We said we want to be like Jesus holy meek and mild. We said we want to be that way. That's no more being holier than thou then I'd be saying I was smarter than Einstein because I want to be like him.

I want to emulate his skill with mathematics. Now it's all just excuses. And I would suggest to you if you're one of these who builds up these reasons that in your heart deep deep down. Don't you know that they're just excuses.

I Never said I was holier than anybody else. Nobody in this church ever did and you know that you find reasons against us. I'm not gonna tell you to open your head take out your brain and put it aside.

Keep those reasons on a shelf put them where you can access them. Don't forget about them if you don't want to but just put them in suspense for a while. And let me ask you to think the other way for a bit.

Think of reasons to believe. Think of reasons to believe and. Think of reasons to believe because of what God says of his son in the word. Think of reasons to believe because of what Jesus says of himself.

Think of the history that has been declared to you about Jesus healing people of leprosy. The blind see the deaf hear lepers are cured the good news is preached. Think of the purity and the goodness of God the Son and What he accomplished on the cross if these histories that we have in all four gospels the synoptics and the fourth gospel as we Call it be true and instead of thinking of reasons not to believe.

Instead of looking to the Bible and trying to take apart and finding what you think are inconsistencies or contradictions. Look at it from the other angle. Try to build up some inventory of reasons to believe and then let's talk about those.

Stay away from Christ if you must but blame it on your own heart and not our behavior. If you'll spend eternity in hell, it won't be because I'm a hypocrite or she's too phony holy. It'll be because of your sin.

It'll be because you declined to believe that Christ died for your sins, which means in fact, he didn't. It's not that you choose but if God chose you to believe this gospel, then you'll believe it by his choosing and not by your own and even so even believing God's absolute sovereignty and He being the sole purveyor and determinant in this salvation.

Believing all that completely. You're still responsible to this day. Choose whom you will serve. You must choose. Because God now commands all men everywhere to repent and believe this gospel. To believe that this Jesus this one who's the subject of Matthew chapter 11 is indeed the Christ.

How do you estimate him? What do you say of him? I'm pleading with you to believe. Are you just shrugging your shoulders? I can't wait for lunch. Your soul's at stake. Your eternal fate rests on your estimate of Jesus the Christ.

Is he the highest of the angelic beings that God created? No, he's God the Son and if he had a beginning he's not the Christ who can save. How do you estimate this Christ? See the greatest prophet as the Muslims might say.

Muhammad said he's the greatest of the prophets, but still only a prophet not good enough. He's the Christ. He's a son of God. Who alone could be that Lamb of God to take away your sins? How do you estimate him?

The question has eternal ramifications. When you meet Jesus He'll talk to me. About the example that I set. He'll talk to John and Paul and Tom and Mary and Jane and Sandra about the examples that they set.

And what an awesome and terrifying thing it will be to look into his eyes and account for every time we spoke wrongly. But when you meet him You're not gonna get to point to me and said if only he had preached a little more clearly.

If only she had been a little more holy if only my neighbor hadn't fought that one time I would have believed. You're not gonna get to say that. You're gonna answer to Christ the judge of all the earth.

With your eternal fate for yourself and what you believed. How do you estimate this Jesus. How do you see him? What do you think of him. God now commands every all men everywhere to repent and believe this gospel.

He confirmed that he will judge the living and the dead all mankind by raising Jesus from the dead which is the Lord's last word on this whole matter of sin and Righteousness and judgment and all this on God's terms and not our own.

But now here how Jesus estimates them. Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works have been done because they did not repent. And we could very easily read in here just a little bit.

We can paraphrase it and say then he began to denounce the person who had heard of these mighty works that he had done and Still would not repent. Verse 21. Woe to you Corazon. Woe to you Bethsaida for the mighty works done.

And you had been done entire inside and they would have repented long ago. And sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon there for you and you Capernaum.

Will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades for the mighty works done and you have been done in Sodom. It would have remained until this day. But I tell you it would be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.