Journey Through Matthew: Figs and Faith Part 2

Introduction

Good evening and welcome back!

Hopefully everyone has had a good day and maybe even got a Nazarene Nap in!

Tonight we are going to continue where we left off this morning, talking about Figs and Faith from , if you want to start finding that in your Bibles.

Tonight we are going to be looking at verses 23-27, that deals with the aftermath of all the events from this morning that took place in the Temple and then after the issue with the fig tree.

And just to recap, remember first we saw Jesus tossing out the money-changers and those who bought and sold in the temple on their rears.

Then we witnessed Jesus cursing a fig tree because it was not bearing fruit, as an example of what happens when we do not bear fruit.

And one key point that we hit on but didn’t expand on very much is the connection between bearing fruit and faith.

Remember, this morning we looked at and talked about this fig tree representing people who talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk.

The fig tree had leaves on it and looked like a fig tree, but it didn’t fulfill what it was called to do, so it withered and died.

We, many times, have an issue where we also look the part and say all the right things but when the rubber meets the road we do not do what we are called to do.

We are like those James talks about when he discusses those who claim to have faith.

He reminds us that . . .

James 2:14–18 NIV - Anglicised

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

James 2:14-

And James is not talking about “works salvation,” he is talking about bearing fruit.

He is talking about putting this faith we claim to have into action and showing something from it.

He is talking about bearing the Fruit of the Spirit.

He’s talking about being Entirely Sanctified.

And one of the big problems with the 21st Century Church is we have a lot of people dressed up, looking the part, but not living it.

They claim salvation and many are saved, but they are not sanctified.

Not totally given over to Christ.

And they struggle.

And as a result the church struggles.

And this misconception that sanctification is something that is optional is very, very dangerous.

A lack of sanctification leads to the same thing that happened to this tree.

The person will wither and die.

They will run the real risk of backsliding.

And part of the issue that we are going to talk about tonight is the fact that Jesus, or rather the Holy Spirit, is convicting these Jews of their ways.

And instead of listening to Jesus and doing what he says, they are rebelling and questioning him.

Wanting to pick a fight.

And even though Jesus only addressed them briefly at the temple, they are watching everything that has been going on.

From the Triumphant Entry we talked about last week, through tonight, they have been watching and waiting for their chance to trap Jesus.

And our passage tonight, picks up with the trap.

So, if you have found , ’d invite you to stand with me if you are able.

Again, I am going to be reading verses 23-27.

Matthew writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Matthew 21:23–27 NIV - Anglicised

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Matthew 21:

Questioning His Authority (vs 23-24)

Okay, so now Jesus has had this object lesson with his disciples.

Teaching them about faith and putting faith to work.

And his point to his disciples was that if they truly had the faith that they claim to have, then nothing was impossible for them to do.

And whether they got the point right then or not is debatable.

After all when Jesus was arrested they ran away.

After he was killed they hid out for a while.

So, I think they listened and understood what Jesus was telling them but put it in the back of their minds until the Holy Spirit fell on them.

It was not until the Holy Spirit came that they had the boldness and the power to actually live out their faith.

And no doubt the other Jews were hearing this teaching and they were fuming over it, but didn’t say anything, until Jesus took his message beyond his disciples.

Again, verse 23 tells us that . . .

Matthew 21:23 NIV - Anglicised

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

See, they didn’t like it, but they let it slide when Jesus was teaching to his disciples because they were a smaller group and not that powerful anyway.

The problems came when the message started getting out.

When Jesus was gathering a following of other people.

People who these chief priests and elders had authority and power over.

Jesus was taking “their people” and thus removing their power, and they didn’t like it.

And Jesus was also convicting them of their own sin as well.

Because they were just like the fig tree.

They dressed the part and said all the right things, but their was no God in them.

They were their own gods.

Their Law was their god.

Their rules was their god.

Their customs was their god.

They had gained so much power that in their mind they were not under anyone’s authority and no one could tell them what to do because they already knew it all.

And everything Jesus was telling them was flying in their face.

So, they come to him angry and confront him, by what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?

They are asking the wrong person the wrong question.

They are asking “which priest taught you and commissioned you?”

“Who ordained you?”

“Who trained you?”

And of course, they knew that Jesus had not been ordained or trained by any Jewish leader.

And they wanted to get him to say so, so they could discredit Him.

And if Jesus answered them by who really gave him authority—God the Father—then they would accuse him of blasphemy.

They’ve got him now! So they thought.

But Jesus had one for them as well . . .

Matthew 21:24 NIV - Anglicised

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

So, now he is getting ready to turn the tables on them on them once again.

And here’s the thing.

Jesus knows what they are doing and he doesn’t feel threatened one bit by them.

He knows that they are under conviction and knows that they are rebelling instead of submitting.

He knows that they are trying to justify their ways instead of giving in and repenting.

They are no different than Adam and Eve who played the “blame game” for their sin instead of just owning up to it.

And he’s not going to play their game.

John’s Baptism (vs 25-26)

But they take the bait.

After all, just one question, how bad could the answer be?

So . . .

Matthew 21:25 NIV - Anglicised

25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’

Matthew 21:25–26 NIV - Anglicised

25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

Now, the reason Jesus asked them this question was because there were only two answers, from God or from himself essentially.

And they knew that if they said from God, then Jesus would then question their own blasphemy and rejection of God, because John remember preached about the One to come and John also identified Jesus as the One.

Therefore if they answered this way, the correct way, they would in effect answer their own question....Jesus’s authority came from God because as John the Baptist told them, who they believed was telling them the truth as a prophet from God, Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.

Any by their even questioning Jesus’ authority, they have just destroyed their own credibility and also committed a blasphemous act.

So, that was the first scenario.

They second scenario was not nearly as complex, but just as dangerous.

If they answered that John’s teaching was from men, or something he and his group just made up, then they would be nullifying John’s position as a prophet of God.

And this would not be acceptable because the people all accepted John as a prophet and respected him as a prophet.

And up until that point, so did the chief priests and elders.

So, if they nullified John, then they would be basically calling all the people who believed John as deceived and liars.

And in effect calling themselves this as well.

Which would anger the people and possibly cause a riot.

Jesus Doesn’t Have to Answer All Questions (vs 27)

So, they are in a no-win situation as they see it and they answer Jesus . . .

Matthew 21:27 NIV - Anglicised

27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

But here’s the thing, they did know.

They knew exactly who John received his authority from.

And they knew exactly who Jesus received His authority from.

And Jesus’ refusal to answer was really due to the fact that they already knew and He doesn’t have to answer to anyone.

Many times we will question God’s authority when we are under conviction.

And we don’t out and out cry to God asking Him “who He thinks He is!”

No, we don’t do it that way, we go around God and go after the conduit through which God is working.

We question the Bible and it’s authority.

We question the Sunday School teacher and their authority.

We question the preacher and their authority.

We question our Christian friends and their authority.

We question the denomination and their authority.

We question the Church and their authority.

And I’m using the word “authority” here loosely, because I don’t know a better word to us.

It is not really authority, but rather the Holy Spirit using these things to convict us of our sin.

And when we are under conviction, we will either submit or rebel.

And part of our rebellion is trying to discredit the means by which the Spirit convicts us.

And this is doing nothing more than questioning God’s authority.

Altar Call

Altar Call

Authority Questioned (vs 23-27)

*Don’t forget they were watching during the entry.

And I wonder tonight, if any of us here have a habit of doing that.

We think we have it all worked out and we already know all the answers.

And when the Holy Spirit sends someone our way to correct us a bit, we react with rebellion.

We react with “who do you think you are?”

That’s not God’s way or God’s will.

God pushes and prods us because God wants us to grow.

God wants us to be all He has called us to be.

But he will not force us.

We are free to rebel and free to make these poor choices.

I wonder what the Spirit is telling each of us tonight.

Is he telling you to repent?

Is he telling you to reconcile with someone?

Is he telling you to step out and take the next step in your relationship with Him?

Is he calling you to a ministry?

Is he calling you to be sanctified, given over fully to him?

How are you answering what the Spirit is telling you?

Are you submitting or are you rebelling?

We are going to put some music on and I would encourage you to come and pray and lay everything on God’s altar tonight.

Will you come?