A Warning, 3 Tricks & A Treat!

Initial Insights

Prayer for the middle east & for the shootings in Maine!!

What makes a question a bad question?

1. Motive

Insincerity, trapping/tricking, humiliation, shame

2. An unwillingness to listen

3. An unwillingness to learn/change/respond!

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NLT)

Moses told the people, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Jesus is this prophet! He is the perfect prophet who perfectly reveals God, and who fulfills everything that the OT prophets predicted/prophesied about Him!

Let’s think about these things today as we read through our Scripture passages!

Matthew 21 - The Triumphal Entry, the cleansing of the temple, healing the blind and the lame (vs. 14), quote from Psalm 8 that blasted the religious leaders!

Matthew 21:15–16 (NASB95)

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

Psalm 8:2 (NLT)

You have taught children and infants to tell of Your strength, silencing Your enemies and all who oppose You!

Matthew 21:23 (NASB95)

When Jesus (re)entered the temple, the chief priests 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?”

Question about John the Baptist in verses 24-27

Verse 24 Jesus says, “I’ll answer you if you answer Me! Was the baptism of J the B from Heaven or from Earth?”

Parable of the landowner who planted a vineyard in verses 33-41

Matthew 21:42–46 (NASB95)

Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 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.

44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

How interesting that the uneducated people considered Jesus to be a prophet, but the religious leaders missed it!!

Now we know (understand) the context, the background, leading-up to our passage today!

*Two Kid’s Songs

Part 2

A Warning, 3 Tricks & 1 Treat...

1. A Warning verses 1-14

A wedding feast/banquet - Jesus initiates

Matthew 22:14 (NLT)

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Many are invited, but few respond! Responding is the key!

Also, wearing the wedding clothes that are provided! Jesus dresses us in His righteousness!

Jesus is the perfect prophet because He perfectly reveals God, and He fulfills everything the OT prophets spoke about Him. He saves us from our sins, and He offers us eternal life. If we will accept it! And, this is how we get to sit around His banquet table one day!

*Kid’s video: Volume 9 - From Death To Resurrection, Unit 25, “Leaders Wanted To Trick Jesus.”

2. Trick #1 verses 15-22

The Pharisees ask a poll tax question

Matthew 22:21 (NLT)

“…Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

When we ask God a question, we need to listen!

When we ask God a question, we need to willing and ready to respond!

3. Trick #2 verses 23-33

The Sadduccees ask a bogus question about the resurrection/life after death

Woman had 7 different husbands! All died, and then she died. Whose wife will she be in the resurrection?

Insincere question!

Jesus offers us a warning against misunderstanding both Scripture and the power of God!

Matthew 22:29 (NLT)

Jesus replied to the Sadduccees, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God!”

Knowing God’s Word answers a lot of our questions for us!

God has the power to raise people from the dead and give them eternal life! That’s why He’s still the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob!

4. Trick #3 verses 34-40

The Pharisees ask Jesus what’s the greatest commandment

Jesus sums up the 10 commandments, and really ALL of God’s commandments in 2 simple simple commandments...

Matthew 22:37–39 (NASB95)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The goal of listening to God’s Word is to love Him and others! Knowing this and doing this are two very different things!

5. A Treat verses 41-46

Matthew 22:41–46 (NLT)

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” 43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ 45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” 46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions!

Jesus reveals that the Messiah is not just a messenger and savior from the line of David, but that He is also God! (Hebrews 1)

Jesus is the perfect prophet because He perfectly reveals God the Father and fulfills what the OT prophets spoke!

John 1:18 (NASB95)

No one has seen God at any time; but the only begotten God who is from the Father, He has explained Him!

John 1:1 (NASB95)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God!

The religious leaders tried to trick Jesus through their flawed earthly insight, but they missed the true wisdom that all Scripture speaks to - Jesus is the way, the truth and the life!

Even though Jesus knew of the hard hearts of the religious leaders, that they were unreceptive to the Truth of who He was/is, He still desired their salvation!

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.