The Gospel According to Matthew - Week 32

This teaching is from Matthew 22:41 - Matthew 23:1-12

In today’s study of Matthew we continue looking at the last week of Jesus’ life before His arrest, crucifixion, death and resurrection.  The religious leaders are continuing their pursuit of trapping Jesus into saying something that they could then bring charges against Him for and get rid of Him.

Jesus asks the religious leaders this question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?” They answer “The son of David,” thinking they had done well in answering!  But Jesus replies, “He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”

In this quote (Ps 110:1) who is the first Lord? It is God the Father.  Who is “my Lord”? David is saying his Lord, meaning this sentence is The Lord (God the Father, Eternal Creator) said to my Lord (David’s Lord - the Messiah) …

Then Jesus goes on (verses 45-46), If David calls Him “my Lord” how can his Lord be his son? Jesus pushes their answer right back to them. This answer causes the religious leaders to stop asking Jesus questions. The leaders could not comprehend that David was pointing to the Messiah and that Jesus was pointing to Himself as the Messiah.

Jesus is pointing out that the Messiah is far more that just a descendant of David. He is instead the Living God who took a flesh - true Gd and true man and offers Himself as the sacrifice for sin for all people everywhere throughout all time.

Verses 1-12 of Chapter 23 is a 
HIPOCRISY ALERT

A hypocrite is someone who doesn’t practice what they preach.  In these next verses Jesus encourages the people to listen to what the leaders are teaching from the Torah, BUT No to do what they do because they are hypocrites.  They strove to show people that they were better than they were. They were showy. It was all about drawing attention to themselves and how great they were.

Jesus calls us to Him as our Instructor and Teacher. To honor Him, serve Him, follow Him and warns us against raising up people to the level of God. Honor the Heavenly Father and listen to the voice of Jesus, and to heed what the Holy Spirit has to say. 

Our Messiah - Jesus - is our Instructor. We want to learn from Him, we want to learn of Him, we want to know Him, follow Him, be immersed in His teaching and want His words to dwell within us in everyday, in every time and in every situation.

Jesus teaches against hypocrisy with a final instruction saying the greatest among us will be a servant.  For those who exalt themselves (hypocrites) will be humbles and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus is making it clear of us who know Him that we are called to serve God and others, because that is Jesus’ example.  “The Risen Servant”

Jesus speaks the SEVEN WOES in the next verses.  They were spoken against the Pharisees and against many of the religious leaders of His day.  These are cutting and difficult words spoken in love  to these leaders and teachers of God Torah (law) with the purpose being a wake up call to them, a way to show them they are sinners in need of a Savior. Plus these are words that remind us of the importance of taking to heart the very teachings of Jesus: love God above all else and love our neighbors as ourselves.  Jesus speaks truth bluntly to these leaders.  His heart is to call them back to Himself.

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