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Well, I don't know if you have a favorite preacher. I have lots of favorite preachers. My favorite living preachers probably as you know, John MacArthur. My favorite dead preachers probably Martin Lloyd-Jones or James Boyce.
My favorite preacher that's dead who for a long time. I thought was alive was Jay Vernon McGee. My favorite preacher on Tuesday was John Cristoforo as with tears in his eyes preached to his family about forgiveness found in Christ alone.
My favorite preacher in the Bible days outside of Christ. Jesus himself was a man named Matthew. Let's turn our Bibles to the book of Matthew. You want to just go to the very beginning Matthew 1. And I love Matthew for lots of reasons but especially because Matthew exalts Christ Jesus and puts the spotlight on him.
Therefore. My response is I love the way Matthew preaches. Matthew is a man who who says I have one Object and goal to my ministry and that is to display the splendor of Christ Jesus and his riches to show that this God man Is the king of the universe?
Matthew's name means gift of the Lord and Matthew the gift of the Lord received the gift of the Lord and the greatest gift and that was salvation and Matthew never forgot it. Matthew had kind of twofold response to knowing that he was saved.
One was I'll always remember what God saved me from and he called himself what all the time Matthew the tax collector. The other Gospels call him Levi. But Matthew always remembered that I was a sinner saved by the grace of Christ and when I think of myself I always think of myself as Matthew the tax collector.
But in addition to that I think of Matthew and his desire to evangelize. Listen to when Matthew got saved what happened and I'll just read it from Luke after that Jesus went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth.
And he said to him follow me and he left everything behind and got up and began to follow him and then what is Matthew's first Desire after God has opened his eyes. He wants other people to be forgiven of their sins and so it says Matthew or Levi gave a big reception for Jesus in his house and There was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who are reclining at the table with them.
Matthew says I want to put the spotlight on Christ. I remember what God has saved me from and what God has saved me unto and I want to always talk about Christ Jesus and Matthew specifically talks to Jews and says to the Jews.
There is a king and his king this king's name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth over and over even if you look in Matthew 1 1. You see how Matthew begins to talk about? Christ and his genealogy. Very very Jewish flavor true or false.
Luke's genealogy is is centered on the humanity of Christ that Jesus is fully man a True or false. There's a genealogy in the book of John. John chapter 1 contains a genealogy. True it contains the divine genealogy in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
Here's the divine side of the genealogy and here in the book of Matthew. You see the very Jewish nature of it all. The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the Christ the anointed Jewish King.
How Jewish. I met a man this week and he said his family said to me is was Jesus Jewish. Said absolutely. My first response was if I can correct myself, I said Obviously not. He had white skin and blue eyes.
I don't care what color Jesus was. He came as Humanity to save humanity, and I'm sure he was olive skin and had brown eyes. I don't know the text doesn't want us to know. What does the text want us to know how tall he was what his face looked like?
No, these are the credentials that Matthew through the Spirit wants us to know. He was called Jesus the Christ the Son of David. Almost ten times in this book the Son of David the Son of David the Son of David the Son of Jewish David the Son Of King David and that's not all.
He's the son not of Adam, although he was busy because he's human. He's the son of Abraham Jew and This Jewish book presents Jesus as King. The whole book could have the charge over it like the charge was over Christ Jesus.
This is Jesus the king of the Jews. And you start mining this book for some gold nuggets and little little slivers of gold. It's pretty easy to do. My friend is a gold Prospector and he talks about these veins of gold that he'll find just little flicks and feathers and flakes of this gold.
And he has to work long and hard. He has machinery. That's worth ten thousand dollars to find this gold. You don't need any machinery to find the gold in this passage. You just put it anywhere, and you go.
It's like a Some kind of Isotope warning Jesus is King. You turn to chapter 2 Jesus is King. You go to the very end in chapter 27 Jesus is King. Everywhere you look the text is saying behold your King.
Thomas Watson said every vein of this book has some gold in it. Look at Matthew chapter 4 as we're just catching up as we're getting back into the book of Matthew in our Sunday morning series. Matthew 4 verse 23 look at this gold.
Verse 23 of chapter 4 says Jesus was going throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and Healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
Peter said and enacts that Jesus had God with him. Emmanuel God with us had God with him as he would preach. In verse 24 says the news about him spread throughout all Syria. Not just to Gentile to Jewish areas.
But to Gentile as well, and they brought to him all who were ill those suffering with various diseases and pains demoniacs epileptics paralytics and Jesus healed them. Large crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis the ten cities and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
And chapter 1 2 3 and 4 serves as a snowball. To get us ready to hear from the words of Christ in this sermon the sermon on the mount. It's just it's like pushing a snowball Downhill. It starts gaining some speed gaining some momentum.
And then you see Jesus seeing the crowds in chapter 5 verse 1. He sits down and then gives the sermon on the mount. And he starts talking about how you can have approval with God, and he basically is Expanding his one-word message in chapter 4 repent.
Expanding that word into chapters 5 6 7. What does repentance really look like. Is it like the Pharisees? External only. Is it like the pagans any object will do or does it come from obeying God from the heart in other words?
Is the gospel really Responded to by loving God with all your heart soul mind and strength and your neighbor or your And your neighbor as yourself, or is it some kind of legalistic? Rule-keeping. And he zooms in and zeros in on chapter 5 verse 20.
That is the key to all of Matthew 5 6 7 this is the verse to unlock the padlock of meaning for this whole Sermon of Christ Jesus the greatest preacher who was ever dead and who's now alive and I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the most righteous people at least externally of The scribes and the Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
They went to the temple every day. They paid their tithes. They paid their taxes. They were ultra religious. They were super religious. They were hyper religious people. They weren't that'll do minimum requirements and.
And Jesus said it has to be not just external although righteousness will manifest itself that way but it has to be internal because Jesus is the king and in his kingdom righteousness is the sine qua non of a kingdom of heaven are the kingdom of heaven on earth and Here in verse 48 if you look down to where we left off several weeks ago Jesus with this one verse in Matthew 5 48 slays the Goliath of man's Feudal attempt to save himself.
This one verse is the stone that goes right to the middle of the forehead of anyone who says I'll be baptized to get into Heaven. I'll be like the Pharisees to get into heaven. I'll be better than my neighbors to get into heaven.
I'll be good enough. It's only one stone needed by David to slay Saliah slay Goliath and here's the stone of Jesus as it were to slay all man's attempt To climb the ladder to God. Therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.
What a contrast between what the Pharisees were saying and what we're supposed to do. This is not just for these people, but this is our barometer as well. Now have you ever heard that the phrase Do as I say not as I do.
My father used to say that Do as I say not as I do. I don't think I won't like to say that. I don't think that's good in Chapter 5 Jesus says don't do what the Pharisees don't believe what the Pharisees teach.
They have lots of teaching they have lots of preaching don't believe it and chapter 6 of Matthew says. In addition to not believing what they teach don't practice what they do. Chapter 5 is here's what they believe.
Don't you buy it for one moment. Chapter 6 is they also do things? And don't you do that either. Don't do what they say and don't do what they do. It's contrasting. Continues all the way through chapter 7 verse 12 Jesus with Hands-on Preaching style.
He's going to say this is what the Pharisees say and do don't do it. Don't believe it. Then he's going to say I want to show you how loving God and loving your neighbor manifests itself and that's what he'll show in chapter 6 and 7.
I Find it interesting that in chapter 5 your heavenly father are your father's found three times. But in chapter 6 as we see how God would have us to live. Your heavenly father are your father is mentioned 12 times depending on your translation.
Then he says in chapter 6 verse 1. The most important word in all of the 18 verses of chapter 6 verse 1 to 18. He says one word that's that's the circling word if you circle things in your Bible. This is the word to circle if you underline.
This is the one to underline. Beware beware. When's the last time you will use that in your vocabulary. Beware. I mean beware of dog. Right, I went to Germany and there's all these German shepherds there.
Odd, isn't it? All these German shepherds and they all have these signs on the on the fences front of their houses, and I don't read German, but I know what it means to be aware of the dog and American German shepherds they kind of bark all the time when you walk by the street.
German German shepherds are very sly these kind of police dogs. They just crouch and wait for like an unsuspecting father and his four children and wife. To just kind of walk up. We're like look at how cool they make their roofs here in Germany.
And oh, isn't this really nice over here? Look at how well manicured the yards are German efficiency and you're looking and you're just engaging it. God. I'm on a sabbatical in Germany. Wonder what they're all doing back there in the snow in West Boylston.
Your mind is just there and all of a sudden out of nowhere. The dog is attacking and we're all laying on the sidewalk and whether it's in German Hebrew Arabic Aramaic or Greek there's one key word that's going to drive everything we do in Chapter 6 1 to 18 and that's the word beware.
Watch out use your mind. You just can't kind of emote go by your gut kind of you know I'll let the spirit be my guide and I'll just kind of lay back and let God. It's the present tense. That means don't ever stop.
It's a command that that means it's imperative that we think this way. Beware of doing what these Pharisees do because you have a father. Over and over in chapter 6 your father your heavenly father your father.
Your heavenly father wants you to act his way in his righteous kingdom. Not like these Pharisees and there's no really good model of religious living in this day. It's hard to find out all the leaders.
Have a monopoly the Pharisees and the scribes and the chief elders and others have a monopoly on the truth. And if you want to know how to live in a godly way that might please God. Where do you go? And Jesus says with one word.
I'll tell you where not to go. I've never seen the show. I don't even know if it's called Criminal intent or criminal mind. What's it called? Doesn't matter. There's some show, you know, everyone's always fascinated with how does a murderer think?
What is what what was the motive behind Charles Manson slayings. I Don't really need to know what the motives of these false teachers the Pharisees were. Do I? The motives aren't important. I think of Adam and Eve in the garden and After they sinned what did God say?
Why'd you do that? Did he say that he said what? What did you do the motives irrelevant? I'm trying to teach my kids and even in my own life. Have you ever said something or did something and said later?
Oh, I didn't really mean to do that. Sorry, I didn't mean to and I've been trying to tell one particular child in our family that if you say I don't mean it all the time. It's Doesn't help you it gets you in more trouble with dad and with God as it were because You did mean it.
This is connected to these. This is connected to this and when you say something you meant it when you did something you meant it now. You wish you wouldn't have because it was foolish sinful stupid and ridiculous in hindsight, but still you meant it.
And we don't really need to know getting into the minds of the Pharisees. Did they mean it how misguided were they? What were their motives what they did was wrong and Jesus says with one word in chapter 6 be careful.
Watch out. You don't want to get up close and say how close can I can I get to sin? Without kind of sinning it's get on the other side of the street one day. My father drove us up to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado, and he was such a good dad.
He saw how far he could get to the very edge without going over the cliff the whole way up and we thought great. No, he didn't do that. He stayed far away, it's kind of like teenagers, you know, we want to date.
What can we do? You know, how far can we go without having to be really wrong? That's always the wrong question in the Bible. It's how far can I stay away from sin? And so as I kind of have a little diagnosis of these Pharisees I don't really need to know why they do things probably power probably greed, but it's irrelevant.
I need to know what Jesus is thinking about them. So I might respond to what he says. So what I thought I would do today is not paint a portrait of the Pharisees. But I wanted you to get an idea about Jesus and what he thinks about Pharisees.
What does Jesus think about a Pharisee? And if you'll go fast forward a little bit to Matthew chapter 21, I'm going to show you this morning three parables. That paint a portrait of Christ Jesus our loving Lord and his attitude towards Pharisees.
It is mandatory that the understanding of chapter 6 with Jesus and Pharisees Can be helped if we understand how Jesus thought about Pharisees in general. And so that's why we're going to go to Matthew chapter 21 and 22 today.
To look at three parables from the greatest preacher ever. That will let us inside the mind of Jesus so we can understand Why he was trying to warn against what the Pharisees taught and did. Why did Jesus say avoid the Pharisees teaching chapter 5?
Why did Jesus say avoid the Pharisees learning chapter 6? Think those questions are going to be answered as we get an idea of how Jesus Directly talks to Pharisees. Remember chapter 5 and 6 the Pharisees are listening, of course, but he's trying to teach his disciples.
I wonder how Jesus would talk to the Pharisees directly. I just to say when we look at these chapters I think it's going to give us cultural and historical Understanding so when we actually do go verse by verse in the weeks to come through chapter 6 we'll say boy.
This is a big deal and I think this is important because Even if I get up and say, you know, here's the false teacher that by name I would announce some in the congregation would say thank you for warning me.
But there's always a couple who say do you really have to mention people by names? Do you really have to go after false teachers? Do you really have to be known at the church for what you're against? Can't we be known for what we're for?
The text would have us to be known what we're for and what we're against. That's what we have to do as leaders. And I think if you see Jesus's attitude towards the Pharisees It's going to help you as you analyze false teachers it will help you as you analyze can love manifest itself in courage and and strength against false teaching because I think all false teachers are just like Satan they prowl around like a roaring lion.
Seeking someone to what? Devour and I believe Matthew chapter 21 and 22 these three parables Will help us understand what Jesus thinks about Pharisees as he directly speaks to them. So we might know chapter 6 better.
So we're gonna fast forward this week. We're gonna go backwards next week three parables. What is a parable? Well, sunny school definition is an earthly story with a Heavenly meaning but that's kind of simple.
Parable just basically means the word something placed alongside of something else. We hear of God the Holy Spirit as a paraclete. He's a comforter alongside of us a parable is something that's next to something and so it does have heavenly meaning.
But it's using some common day language to drive home this point very clearly very bluntly with imagination with vigor with an increased memory. What I like I was even talking to Brian Bartlett about this or Tom Bertrand or one of these these men when you study these Parables even though they're given to the Pharisees even though the parable might be given to the disciples you feel like the parable is for you.
There's this spillover effect where you think I get the point too and it's one of these Convictions one of these kind of wow that thing just really hit me. So I've got kind of two purposes this morning.
One is what was Jesus thinking as he was saying these things to the Pharisees? Number two some of the things that apply to Pharisees will apply to ourselves. Let's go to Matthew chapter 21 verse 23 and see the context for why Jesus would give three parables that just shock the Pharisees.
Jesus is going to lay down some water. For the Pharisees to all stand in about three foot deep and then with these three parables He's gonna come and put a 220 Electrical charge right on to where they're standing.
That's the effect of these parables. I mean they are bombshells. This is this is not some radio frequency current. That's just kind of smooth and nice. This is shocking. Don't try that at home by the way.
The key to parables is why would he say it as he's just walking around go? I think I'll give a parable. Well, that's not probably how you would do it and either would I and Jesus wouldn't either he says a parable for a purpose.
There's something going on. There's a situation. There's a context. There's a reason why Jesus speaks in parables. If you want to know the key to parables in chapter 15 of Luke. The best thing to do is to read Luke 15 1 and 2 and the intro same thing here before we get to the parables.
We ask this question. Why did Jesus say what he did? Matthew 21 23 will tell us. The storm cloud of Passion Week is approaching and Jesus when he entered the temple Matthew 2123 the chief priest 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?
Who gave you the authority to take people and drive them out of the temple? Who are you who are you to go look at this fig tree and say, you know? It's basically a good representation of Israel and curse it.
Who are you? Who do you think you are? Chief priests. The scribes. Another gospel says the elders all the big shots. They're alarmed by what's going on. Jesus has their attention cleanse the temple wither the fig tree.
Flushing the cesspool of what's going on in the temple and they say to him. Well stop timeout. Who are you? How does Jesus respond verse 24? Why did I write a book called Jesus Christ the prince of preachers because he's the prince of preachers who preaches like this.
I Will also ask you one thing literally I will ask you one word. Which if you tell me I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. He's not scared and cowering by these False teachers. He's also not looking for information.
I don't know the answer. So you think you could supply it. And with common rabbinical style he says, all right, you've got a question. I'll teach you by asking you questions verse 25 the baptism of John was from what source from heaven for men.
By the way, when Jesus starts asking you questions and you're a self-righteous Pharisee, it's over before it started. You might as well just mail it in because you know, he does he when he talks to them he gets them to indict themselves.
Right, he doesn't such a wise way such a wonderful way you just go. They are going to put their own foot in their own proverbial mouth and it's over. And they began reasoning among themselves saying if we say from heaven.
Hey John the Baptist came from heaven. Then he will say to us. Then why will you not believe him if John the Baptist came from heaven and said you need to repent of your Judaism that says It's by works and you need to get baptized in the Jordan to show that you're sinful and you reject Judaism as it is today.
If that's from God, well, then we should be doing it. We should be out there not critiquing John but being baptized by John verse 26 if we say from men. We fear the people for they all regard John as a prophet if we say Hey, this is he just made it up.
He ate too many locusts dipped in honey. He kind of let it distill down or something and because it's just driving the guy crazy. But the people think that he's from heaven so we are stuck between the rock and the hard place.
Jesus is basically saying if you rightly understand John's baptism and John's ministry and John's life. You'll rightly appraise mine. Both are sent from God the Father Mark 11 in a in a parallel passage who says you answer me.
I'm gonna ask you and you will answer me. Command sharply. He says in Mark from heaven from human origin and They're going to incriminate themselves. They're afraid. There's so much afraid. Luke says of the people are gonna stone us.
Verse 27 answering Jesus they said With great pride and courage and duty. We do not know. And he said to them neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. They're cowardly. They're liars.
They're Dishonest and they want to discredit Jesus and he has in fact discredited them right there and It's out of this confrontation that these parables come. The religious establishment comes to Jesus.
They have distorted God's gospel. Is there anything worse than distorting God's gospel? God says I save by grace because I'm good and kind and faithful and I love Humankind and I will punish my son instead of them because I love my son.
I love the Spirit. I love the people and the Pharisees come along and say no, that's not the way it is. What could be worse? So Jesus gives three parables and I call them judgment parables. Judgment parables to these Pharisees and scribes that will watch.
We'll learn a little bit. But we're also going to get an idea why Jesus would say in chapter 5 in chapter 6 don't believe it. Don't do it. A parable number one found in Matthew 21 verse 28 the parable of two sons.
They're going to question his authority. He says my authority is the same authority that John the Baptist Authority had and so he's gonna just shock them and so this is this is Parable number one and the pools filled up about six inches with water when this 220 goes in Matthew 21 28, but what do you think?
Man had two sons. He came to the first and said son go work today in the vineyard very common ordinary. Go ahead and work. He answered and said I will sir. You can just hear the click of the heels reporting for duty.
I will sir and He did what? Not go. Came to the second said to this and said the same thing, but he answered and said I will not yet afterward he regretted it and went. Now this is amazing one said yes I'll obey and then didn't the other one says no I won't obey, but then did the first son Verbally said yes verbal commitment, but giving the false impression the whole time actually disobeying and who was this son.
Represented representing hey, we'll obey God. We'll teach God. We'll do what God says, but they really don't. The first son is the Pharisees the false teachers. They said they obeyed all the time, but never did.
By their actions they weren't obeying. Oh, we obey God 613 laws and we do all this and tithe mint and cumin and we do everything. But when it comes to actually doing what God wants them to do honor the Sun they aren't doing it.
They're not obeying giving rituals. Micah says in chapter 6 verse 8 he has told you oh, man. What is good? What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice to love kindness and to walk what humbly with your God?
They aren't doing it, but what about the other son on the other hand conversely this second son? True or false. Didn't even call him sir. Didn't call him sir. They're uncourteous, but later real repentance real godly sorrow.
Who does the second son represent if the first son who says I obey but will not the Pharisees are represented there. Who represents? The second son verse 31 tells us the answer isn't this great. The answers right there.
Which of the two did the will of his father? What do you think they would say? Well, we know the parable, but. The second son did the will of the father. They said the latter Jesus said of them. Oh. This has got a sting truly I say to you that the tax gathers and Harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before the first son before you.
Before you they're going to heaven they're testifying against themselves and They are now the Jewish people infuriated. Jesus will not let them plead the fifth somehow when it comes to the religious leaders and when it comes to the dregs and the scum I Mean boy, they hated tax collectors back then didn't they?
They hated whores back in those days and prostitutes and Jesus says These tax gatherers these prostitutes first. They weren't obeying. It's a sin to be Stealing money. It's a sin to be a prostitute. But they realized they were not righteous and they said God we need your righteousness and they repented.
They're going in first before these religious leaders. Boy Jesus just striking an arrow in the liver of the leadership that's out there. Then the first son needs to know that obey is better than sacrifice and the second son Is the personification of tax collectors and prostitutes?
Maybe we might say pedophiles rapists suicide bombers. Verse 32 says for John came to you in the way of righteousness. God's righteousness not just rituals and you did not believe him. But the tax gathers and the harlots did believe him and you seen this Praise God that sinners of all Brands could be saved.
No and seeing this did not even feel remorse afterwards. So as to believe him. Their actions said oh, you're like the second son a John. Yeah, he's good. We don't want to be thrown by the people, but he's not right.
You can hear James say to these kind of men Prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hears only who delude what? Themselves. The point of this parable is what? Not just for Pharisees, but we have implications as well.
God is after heartfelt obedience. Not just lip service. God is after heartfelt obedience. Not just lip service and that's gonna be key for us when we get back to Matthew chapter 6. You say you're obey you say you love God.
How do you show it? By obeying you can go through your mind and just say. This is exactly what Jesus meant when he said in John 15 14, you are my friends if you do what I what command. Repentance is demonstrated by obedience.
There are other lessons we could learn like Past lifestyles of horrible sin are no disqualification for the great saving mercy of God. We could have other lessons like God extends grace to the very sinful so that he might make the religious self righteous Jealous, but for us Jesus says with shocking language to these Pharisees.
You know the truth and you don't do it and you're in trouble and now he builds look at the second parable Matthew chapter 21 verse 33. The first parable is there's two sons. This second parable is the rejection of a landowner's son.
Now remember this is Passion Week. Jesus is about to be killed and now we're gonna learn about this Rejection of the landowner's son. Listen to another parable as they're pulling themselves off the ground basically after the first one.
There was a landowner and you know, they always just start off kind of oh, I get the picture. Everything's fine. Who planted a vineyard and put up a wall around it and dug a wine press? Built a tower rented it out to the vine growers and went on a journey.
Jesus is painting this picture of this this owner who has a vineyard and he's not slack and how he keeps it up. He he invests in it and digs around and takes care of the stones and builds tower for protection.
All the things that they would do that Isaiah chapter 5 Discusses these Jews would all know vineyard landowner. Israel's the vineyard they would know right from Isaiah chapter 5. The parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5 would would be in their minds and this Jewish symbolism was all over and Jesus is going to give these leaders an indictment to say you really don't follow God.
You say you do but you don't. So what happens what happens here? The landowner planted a vineyard straight from the Old Testament see all the capital letters there. That's from Isaiah chapter 5 planted a vineyard.
Israel put a wall around it dug a wine press in it built a tower. He did everything. Couldn't say well the owner of that vineyard just didn't take care of it. He was invested this owner being God of the vineyard Israel.
He kind of what happens here. What happens to this situation verse 34? When the harvest time approached he sent his slaves to the vine growers to receive his produce. So here's the here's the vineyard Israel.
He has some some Tenants who watch over it some managers as it were the leadership of Israel is watching over Israel. Scribes and Pharisees or other and others are watching over Israel and now it's time for some of the fruit to be paid back produce.
And what happens? Jesus I just call this section right here. This is in-your-face kind of preaching Verse 35 the vine growers took his slaves the owner sent some slaves. You know to get some update and some produce the vine growers the leaders of Israel took his slaves the servants the Old Testament prophets and beat one and Killed another and stoned a third so you get the picture God the Son is using this language to say you leaders were over Israel and you're doing the wrong thing.
And so in my mercy and in my goodness I've sent prophets to you that would say like Isaiah and Ezekiel Repent don't do these things and when I send you prophets like Elijah, how do you respond to them?
You drive Elijah into the wilderness first Kings chapter 19. I send Isaiah to you to preach and what does tradition say about Isaiah? Sawn in two. I Send to you people like John the Baptist and by now John the Baptist had been what?
Beheaded. Legend says Amos Micah Jeremiah Ezekiel Joe and Habakkuk were also killed. Mark chapter 12 describes it this way. And he sent them another slave and they wounded him in the head and treated him Shamefully, and he sent another and that one they killed and so with many others beating some and killing others.
You religious leaders don't want to hear it your power base is being you know Affected and so you just send them back you kill them. I mean I can just see the Patience of God this is a huge crime. By the this has got to be the climax of the parable it's kind of over now.
I I've I've sent these preachers to you and these prophets and you just kill some and Hurt others. But it's not over yet. Here's the real climax. Chapter 37 and following. But afterward he sent him his son to them.
Sent his son to them saying they'll respect my son. Mark says Jesus said I had one more to send a beloved son. They will respect my son. Last resort last card to play as it were. Any guesses on who this son might represent?
It's obvious Jesus I sent all the prophets. They're all dead practically. I'll send my son. They'll believe the beloved son. A Beloved son I'll send. I can just hear God the Father thou art my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.
I Can just hear John 3 16 for God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten Son. How do they respond. Hallelujah. Forgiveness of sins. We don't have to bear our sins. Verse 38. Nope. But when the vine grower saw the Sun.
They said among themselves. This is the heir come let us kill him and seize his inheritance. Inheritance is gonna be ours a greedy. They wanted to control the nation for themselves. They want to control Israel not God not some Messiah.
Will determine the criteria of the Messiah not God not this God man. Let's grab his inheritance let's grab the nation. They took him and they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Kill the Sun.
You get all the property. Kill Jesus. You control Israel. So they thought John 11 says from that day on they plan together to kill Jesus. God's a God of love I know. But how do you think he responds to a nation.
His nation his redeemed nation from Egypt. His redeemed nation from Egypt with false Teachers. Oh, they're just misguided. You probably have a good heart. Got a good relationship with their families and At least they give some money to the temple.
I mean here comes the bulldozer verse 40 as a kid I love bulldozers, but I couldn't say yellow so I said big bigs. These are the big bigs right here these big yellow things just gonna bulldoze over all the theology.
He's got a God of love. Yes, but he is a jealous God and don't you ever forget it? Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine growers? They said to him. He almost tells he's forcing it out of them because self-indictment is coming.
Bring those wretches to a wretched end and He'll run out the a vineyard of the other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons. I Don't know if they said it like that or not, but I bet you they thought it that way.
They in their own mind have to say I affirm and I concur for just I confirm Justice there has to be justice done. You can't do that. They're even made in the likeness of an image of God and they realize this is unjust.
It's amazing verse 42 Jesus spins on a dime it seems and stabs their consciences. Jesus said to them remember these are the religious people. This is like going to me and saying have you ever read John 3 16?
Jesus said to them. Did you never read in the scriptures? Have you not even read this scripture was the last time you actually open your Bibles up and read this false teachers. By the way, it should have been read that week because it's about Passover time and they should have read Psalm 118.
Because it's a psalm of ascent chapter 113 to 118 they should be reading this time of year and Jesus with a rhetorical question expecting the yes answer says Did you ever read these scriptures which ones Psalm 118 22 and 23 the stone which the builders rejected.
This became the chief cornerstone this about this came about from the Lord and it is marvelous in our eyes you can take a stone that you need to build an Architectural device back in an architectural structure in those days and kind of reject it and still carry on but you can't take a son and kill him and reject him and have everything kosher and This word rejected if you take a look at Matthew 21 42 means this.
To toss in the garbage after full examination. To take a look at it to look at every side to examine it and say you know what? We've thoroughly examined. It's not like we just kind of saw it from a distance.
We have checked this out. The magnifying glass is out. The microscope is out. We see everything about it and we still say forget it yet what they reject God exalts. And here Jesus has given us a little taste of his death and then exaltation.
This became the chief cornerstone. It's the best this came about from the Lord. Sovereign over all of this and what should be the response? It is marvelous in our eyes. God is going to turn everything right side up and apparent defeat is going to turn out into triumph.
The stone that they rejected. That should turn Israel Upside down and never be set right back up again is going to be used by God the Father. To still save those that the Father has chosen it came about from the Lord.
Amazing thing. Well you say. Does Jesus say any more about it. Verse 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. They'll give me fruit.
And he who falls on this stone Jesus talking about himself will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls it will scatter him like dust. When the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables they understood that he was speaking about Them and when they sought to seize him they feared the people because they considered him to be a prophet.
All the Frenzy of the Passover season don't want to work up those already worked up crowds. And Jesus is saying to them the first parable God wants not just lip service, but internal obedience. The second parable is what?
The way to honor the Father is to honor the Son. That's why first Corinthians 16 says if anyone does not love the Lord let him be accursed. God is patient. God is generous, but Jesus is the only way. Praise God that he is patient.
You know what Martin Luther said about this parable. If I were God and the world had treated me as it treated him I would kick the wretched thing to pieces. Yet Jesus cries out and says whoever believes in me believes in him who sinned.
Well times almost done, and I said I'd give you three parables, so here's the final parable with lightning speed. Parable number three the parable of the sons. God wants internal obedience. See how that's gonna tie into the hypocrisy.
Chapter chapter 6. God has one son. He's the only way of salvation. He's not like my friend said this week. He's the God of the Buddhists. He's the God of the Mormons. He's the God of the Christians. No, there's one God.
Jesus is the only one and. Then the last parable parable number three you may ask yourself the question if the Jews are missing the kingdom. Maybe I'll miss it if the religious know about the Bible, and they miss going to heaven.
What about me? Israel is rejecting her Messiah. What happens to people who reject now, and we have this final parable, and we're just gonna ramp it up. Here we go a little water. We're off chapter 22.
Jesus answered spoke to them again in parables saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son Charles and Diana's wedding. Remember that 20 some years ago.
The closest thing we could figure out when it comes to a king marrying a queen. He wasn't even a king and she wasn't even a queen yet. So you imagine a king in the monarchy in an oriental area? And this is going to be the biggest display because the king is going to show honor and Respect and desire that honor respect by showing how great this is.
So what did he do verse 3? Custom of the day. You remind the people the day of the wedding it's time to come. They don't have any outlook or Daytimers or blackberries or anything. He sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast.
Okay, the king says you're in my land. I protected you. I've watched over you. I've I've fed you and by the way my son's getting married. And here's the advance notice three months in advance and now it's the day of and in my goodness and kindness I'll send you out another reminder today.
Today's the day to come to my wedding. That I prepared my wedding meaning my son's with and the guests were unwilling to come you know what the chances there. Constantly refusing to come over and over and over we won't we want nothing to do with you.
King Israel had received plenty of advance notice that there's a Messiah coming. Believe in the Messiah. Preach the Messiah verse 4 again. He sent out other slaves saying what patience what kindness. You could just learn about the character of God and Jesus's parables.
Tell those who have been invited behold. I prepared my dinner. You don't get this kind of food on your own. This is a meal set for a king. You don't get this kind of food regularly. All this meat. My oxen my fatted livestock are all butchered and everything is ready.
Come to the wedding feast. Oh, what else are you gonna? Do there's a wedding feast back in those days. Why do you think they lasted seven days? Because what else are you gonna do? I mean, you know, there's no TV.
There's no Tivo. There's no anything that starts with the T except tired and Talk it out. I don't have any idea. Back to the text. Let's go. He's given an incentive to believe an Incentive to say you know what?
Yes, Jesus. He could it could be similar to this. Jesus is king and he will rule over you and you better believe in him. But now it's not just that and it's he's a kind king. He's generous. He's good.
He's patient. He sends him again. You start thinking about the love of God. We sang about in a couple different songs today. Here is how God loves sinners. With amazing love come to the wedding feast the grace of the invitation but they paid no attention and went their way and One went to his own farm another to his business and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
How do you think the king will act. But the king was enraged and sent his armies and destroyed those murders and set their city on fire. That's a good description of what would happen to people in hell and what happened at 70 AD when Israel was slammed by a sinful man Titus driven by a holy jealous God.
Verse 8 then he said to him and then he said to his slaves. There's a wedding ready. But those who are invited were not worthy. Go there for to the main highways as many as you find there invite to the wedding feast.
Now we're just gonna go outside the borders as it were free open. God's mercy and love for sinners. It's not just Israel. It's for Gentiles. We don't care the race. We don't care the class we don't care the nation and Those slaves verse 10 went out in the streets and gathered together all they found both evil and good and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
And then out of nowhere we get this kind of curveball in verse 11. When the king came to look over the dinner guest he was happy at least they're all here rejoicing. He saw there was a man not dressed in wedding clothes.
Said to him friend. How did you come in here without wedding clothes and he was speechless. You know what they did back in those days and I think the built-ins and the coolies are probably glad this doesn't happen in these Days that is when you have a wedding and you're you're you're having the you're hosting it.
People have one set of clothes maybe two and you don't want them come to the wedding looking and smelling like that. Do you so you provide clothes for the people coming to the wedding? I said to Steve this week, you know, if you want me to wear tux for your daughter's wedding, I'm gonna have to buy.
Basically, and I could I should have said and it's biblical so they Israelite leaders say forget it. We're too busy. We're not gonna honor the father nor the son. We don't care what Psalm 2 says kiss the Sun lest you perish.
So let's just go out and invite everybody all kinds of sinners including Gentiles and maybe they'll come but some of them came and said Oh, yeah, we'll put on the clothes, but the other ones are like, you know what?
We're not gonna put on those clothes that the king provided. We're here to eat the oxen all that stuff. But if you think we're gonna wear those clothes required to get in this feast, no. My clothes are good enough.
Without a labor elaborating on all this. It's basically someone saying I'll come to the king's wedding. With my own righteousness by my own good deeds. You think I need the king's robes to get into the king's palace for the king's wedding?
I'll get in on my own and you can just see how Jesus is driving this. It's got to be the righteous robes of Christ and God's righteousness. Given to those who are coming or else they can't enter. You come on God's terms or you don't come at all.
You can't come in by being good. You have to come in based on the goodness of the Asker. The one asking all without exception MacArthur said were invited to the banquet. All the guests were rounded up hastily from the highways and therefore none could be expected to come with proper attire.
That means the wedding garments were supplied by the king himself. So this man's lack of proper garment indicates he had purposely rejected the king's own gracious provision. Yet and spurned the garment of the righteousness that Christ offers.
Seeking to establish a righteousness of their own. And the text there in verse 12. It's not friend like close friend. In Matthew here. It's hey, who are you? Hey, how could you do that? I? Provided clothes for you and you want to come in with your filthy garments.
Isaiah 64 6. Your righteous deeds. You come on the king's terms or you don't come at all. You come through Christ. Or you don't come at all then. Verse 13. We need to wrap this up. The king said to the servants bind him hand and foot.
Cast him into the outer darkness in that place. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Did this take God by surprise? May it never be verse 14 for many are called but few are Chosen. Some are invited.
All are invited, but some refuse to come. But that's exactly how God had planned. Israel rejected her Messiah. What happens to anyone else who rejects Israel's Messiah? Jesus says it's hell. It's casting out.
Jesus said the Jews missed it. Don't you miss it? I say to you the Jews missed it the leadership missed it. Don't you miss it? God's gracious and patience patient. Yes. But eventually there's death and standing before God.
What did Jesus do with these three parables? He said when it comes to the Pharisees. They do lip service and I want internal obedience from my people then and from my church today. These people come around and say there's other ways to Jesus and and I can be good on my own and other things.
It's through Christ alone. Don't you believe what these Pharisees say who needs a Messiah when you can work your way into heaven according to them? And lastly Jesus says he's kind he's generous, but there's payday one day and.
So sinners everywhere are called to repent and come to Christ on his terms. Like Spurgeon said of our great God if you reject him, he answers you with tears if you would wound him. He bleeds out cleansing if you kill him.
He dies to redeem if you bury him. He rises again to bring bring resurrection. Jesus is love made manifest. And I would add to Spurgeon while you are alive beware of false teachers who say External is good enough Jesus plus or you don't need Jesus.
We'll find out more about these Pharisees next week. Let's pray thank you Lord for our day today where we can just be immersed into the text and to see you as you have Loved your son. This is my beloved son.
Listen to him. You once said and we want to listen as well father. Even for my own life whether it's sickness or issues. Surrounding my life. I Not thought of those things as I've listened to your word pray for the church as well that you would Gird us up in difficult times people in the hospital and friends and relatives.
Dying and all kinds of things that are going on, but we want to make sure we listen to you at times like this. I pray for those that are here who somehow have not devoted themselves to Christ Jesus who do not Love him who do not do it.
They will not do what he says. I pray today that you would grant them new life so that they would able to be. They'd be able to walk in your ways and Lord Certainly, there are some that need to be born again today, and I pray that you'd use a message like this Confrontive yes, but truthful.
And so father I pray that you'd use this to stir us up and we'd be anything but a church who does external things only without an internal love in Jesus name.