Matthew (Program #60) – The Heavenly King Being Tested (3)

In the day right before the crucifixion of Christ, the situation in Jerusalem was very confused.  In many ways we have to say it’s much like today.  All manner of religious factions and groups each with their own spin on the theological questions of the day.  And each of these groups took their turn asking the Lord Jesus what they thought were difficult even clever questions try to catch Him in a way that they could use to their advantage.  But in each turn, of course Jesus prevailed.   Until ultimately He silences them by asking them the real question of questions, “What did you think about Christ?  Whose Son is He?”  As we look at the four-part test that the Lord Jesus allowed His opposers to subject Him to.  And then this greatest of all questions that He turn to them.

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Matthew (Program #59) – The Heavenly King Being Tested (2)

The final chapter of Matthew presents a series of parables that are often referred to and even quoted but seldom understood or explained in a full and complete way.  These parables all deal not with going to heavens but with the coming kingdom to be established on earth with Christ Himself reigning in righteousness as the King of kings.  And they also deal with our participation and enjoyment in this coming kingdom age.  One of these well-known parables is the story of the marriage feast.  In particularly, one who is called but then expelled for not being dressed in proper wedding garment.

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Matthew (Program #58) – The Heavenly King Being Tested (1)

During the final six days of His life on the earth, the Lord Jesus presented Himself to be examined repeatedly even by His strongest critics and most venomous opposers.  As we began to look at how Christ came through this series of examinations in Matthew 21.

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Matthew (Program #57) – The Cleansing of the Temple and the Cursing of the Fig Tree

After beginning His ministry in the religious capital of Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus went far away when He needed to reveal His kingdom to His disciples.  But now He returns for one final triumphant entry into the city of the king prior His being crucified there.  All of these details are full of rich meanings and much significances as we will see in today’s life study.

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Matthew (Program #56) – The Throne of the Kingdom and the Cup of the Cross

It is easy to read the gospels in the Bible such as Matthew’s gospel and be fascinated by the wonderful stories and the accounts of the many great miracles done by the Lord Jesus.  But throughout this gospel, the Lord Jesus repeatedly spoke to His disciples of how He would go to Jerusalem and suffer the humiliating death on the cross to be raised on the third day.  But despite His repeating of this most critical aspect of the gospel, His disciples were fully occupied with other things; like who among them will have the highest position in the coming kingdom.

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Matthew (Program #55) – The Kingdom Reward and the Parable of the Kingdom Reward

A rich young man who desired to do something in order to receive eternal life approached the Lord Jesus about this matter.   But the Lord’s word to him caused him to leave in utter discouragement at the impossibility that he could ever meet such requirement.  Jesus then use this occasion to review the matter not of salvation but of the reward awaiting those who follow Him into the kingdom.

The reward of the kingdom is NOT our salvation and the hope of our salvation.  This is something altogether different many believers have missed…

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Matthew (Program #54) – The Kingdom Requirements

Lust, pride and the love of riches, these are 3 scorpions that plague virtually every human being.  Many people come to Christ motivated by the desire to be free from the sting of these scorpions.  As God’s people, we must ultimately experience this kind of freedom.  But deliverance from these can never be attained by mere will power or determination.   As we consider this account in Matthew 19 and how much these things will affect our ultimate standing in God’s kingdom.

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Matthew (Program #53) – Relationships in the Kingdom (2)

Who can possibly describe the depth of God’s forgiveness of our debt to Him.  Yet we frequently find it very difficult even impossible to forgive others who would even slightly offended us.   Matthew 18 reveals that if we fail to forgive others after we have received God’s forgiveness of us, we are in serious jeopardy and we will face a very harsh reality when we meet Christ.  You may say as many do, “I don’t have to worry, I have been forgiven of everything and on my way to heaven”.  Well,  if this is your thought we hope, we even pray that you stay tune today because this chapter like much of Matthew is not dealing with our eternal destiny but rather our practical participation in the kingdom of the heavens.

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Matthew (Program #52) – Relationships in the Kingdom (1)

In Matthew 18 the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, “who is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?”  What would we say?  The one with power to heal or the gifted preacher?  Well, the Lord Jesus answered the question in this way; “and He called a little child to Him and stood him in their midst.. He therefore who will humble himself like this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.”

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Matthew (Program #51) – Vision Concerning Christ

The gospel of Matthew is somewhat different than the other 3.  It chronicled many of the same events but the arrangement of these events in Matthew has little to do with the actual sequence in which they happened.  Rather Matthew presents these cases carefully and strategically and has ordered them to portrait a full revelation of God’s kingdom.  We will see the wonder of the divine arrangement in Matthew again today.

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