Sermon Template (5)

A. Background to passage:

B. Opening illustration

C. Main thought:

2) The Justice of Jesus (v. 38-39)

Matthew 23:38–39 ESV

See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

2) The Justice of Jesus (v. 38-39)

Explanation: God’s patience does have it’s boundaries, self-appointed ones, just ones, but just as much a part of God’s person and character is wrath as love. Jesus declares that he would abandon the people of Israel upon this rejection. Their house, was not His house anymore. He was leaving the building empty, similar to what he did in Ezekiel’s day. Jesus said they wouldn’t see him again until he comes again.

2 Chronicles 36:15–16 ESV

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Philippians 2:10–11 ESV

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Illustration: In a mountain valley stood a massive dam, holding back millions of gallons of water. For years it stood strong, and people built homes and farms just downstream. Life went on as usual — no one thought much about the dam anymore.

Then one day, engineers noticed a thin crack running along its face. They warned the people below that if the crack widened, the dam would fail. But the people shrugged. “It’s held for generations,” they said. “It’ll hold a little longer.”

Days turned into weeks, and the crack slowly deepened. Behind that concrete wall, an unimaginable pressure was building — silent but unstoppable. And then, in a single moment, the dam burst. The water that had been restrained for so long roared through the valley, sweeping away everything in its path.

That’s what God’s judgment is like. For now, His mercy holds it back. The world grows comfortable beneath the shadow of His patience. But Scripture tells us there’s coming a day when that patience will end — when the righteous Judge, Jesus Christ, will no longer hold back His wrath against sin.

Application: 1. All rebellion will be punished eventually. All justice will be rendered one day on the earth or in hell. The Lord never abandons his people completely. There will always be a remnant. This predicted long ago rejection would bring about salvation for the world, however 2. predicted doesn’t mean that there was no personal accountability. People would be held responsible.

3. The day will come when Jesus splits the sky to return on a white horse with a white robe dipped in blood, with eyes like fire and wearing many crowns, he will descend with the armies of heaven to strike with the sword of his mouth and rule the nations with a rod of iron treading the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.

4. There will be those with him and those that will be trampled by him. Which one will you be? We are in an age of grace, but it will not extend forever. Christ is coming and it could be anytime. The joy we find in him and in the gospel is astronomical, but great will be the suffering for those that reject this grace.

A. Closing illustration:

B. Recap