Q&A with a Warning

“Q&A with a Warning”

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Believe it or not, before there was Google to answer our questions; there were books that answered questions.

One of those books, “Answers to 10,000 questions”.

Question: Do fish sleep?

Answer: Fish do not sleep.

Question: Are pigs naturally dirty farm animals?

Answer: Pigs are clean animals if allowed to be.

Question: Is it true that a person dreaming of falling will die from shock if they do not wake-up before they hit the ground?

Answer: No.

What could be more wonderful to a young boy’s mind then answers to those questions!

We think to ourselves wouldn’t it be wonderful to get the answers to all our questions from God.

How can I know for sure what is true?

Why is this happening to me?

What is the meaning of all this suffering?

Where will it all end? Many of our questions are answered in the Bible!

But even Christians still have questions, and people who do not believe in God are still looking for answers.

The people who lived in the time of Jesus had a lot of questions.

People were always asking Jesus to explain something, and why not… People always ask their teachers questions, and Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived!

, marks the end of all these questions that people had asked Jesus. Think back with me about the questions that Jesus was asked:

When Jesus forgave a man who was paralyzed, people asked; -“Who can forgive sins but God alone”?

When Jesus spent time with sinners, people asked him; -“Why do you eat and drink with

Tax- collectors and sinners”?

Jesus said, healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people need a doctor; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In they hit to Jesus with a barrage of questions:

-“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?

-“Do we pay Caesar taxes are not?

-“In the resurrection whose wife will she be?

Jesus gave answers that demonstrated he knew the Bible and He knew the mind of God. You remember that Jesus has been doing this since he was a

12-year-old boy.

In Jerusalem as a 12-year-old boy at the Passover Jesus was in the temple, -“The teachers of the law were amazed at his understanding and his answers”.

Jesus had an answer for every question, and with every answer, he explained the deep truths about God and man, about sin and salvation, about forgiveness and eternal life! He alone has the answer you’re looking for…He is the answer!!

After the question about the resurrection we are told in, V:40-“After that they did not ask him any more questions”.

Silence can be golden! And silence can bring glory to God, when we realize that Jesus has the answer to any question we can ask.

It is a good day, when your mouth is stopped, and you agree with God and submit to Him.

, The law was given that every mouth might be stopped and we might be guilty before God!

Jesus always welcomed sincere questions from people who were seeking to know the truth, and he gave them answers.

But for those who raised questions only to prove they were right and God was wrong; Jesus gave them more than they asked for.

The scholars and scribes didn’t have any more questions for Jesus, but Jesus has a question for them; and then a warning for his disciples.

From the Scriptures this morning there is, #1:

1. A Question to Answer.

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the last week of his life, and the religious leaders, who denied he was the son of God, are trying to discredit him. They have asked him all these questions, trying to trap him and trip him up. But they cannot, trap him with any of their questions, because he is superior to them in every way!

Luke tells us in, , that he writes this gospel to prove without a doubt that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

And here is one of Luke’s clinching arguments, given in the form of a riddle that can only be answered if we believe that Jesus Christ really is God. Notice the question that Jesus asked the scribes, V:41-44-Read.

Now we have to think about this a little bit, in order to get the answer. Jesus starts by stating something that everyone knew... V:41-“Christ would be David’s son… The word Christ, means Messiah, the anointed one, the Savior who God had promised to send.

God made a promise to David in, , that He would give him a son in the future who would be and everlasting King.

Luke has already shown us several times in his gospel that Jesus is from the family of David, he is the son of David. The angel Gabriel told Mary:

“He should be great, and shall be called the son of the highest: and the Lord God shall give in to him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

, is a chapter dedicated to the genealogy of Jesus, tracing his family back to King David.

, Blind Bartimaeus, cried out son of David have mercy on me”.

At Jesus triumphal entry;

-“They cried out, Hosanna to the son of David”.

Everyone knew that the Christ would be David’s son. But Jesus is going to show them, that the Christ, would be far more than David’s son!

Jesus proceeds to ask how Christ could be David’s son, and at the same time David’s Lord, V:44-Read.

This riddle that Jesus puts before these people comes from . is a messianic Psalm, a Psalm that makes a prediction about the coming of Christ.

-“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool”.

This Psalm of David begins with a dialogue; what is confusing about this two-person conversation is that both participants are called Lord.

Who are these two lords?

The identity of the first Lord is obvious, most English translations print this title in capital letters, to show that it refers to God himself.

LORD-this is the name Yahweh, the special divine name that belongs only to God. So the first person speaking in this verse is the Lord God Almighty.

But who is he speaking to? The identity of the second Lord is also clear. This name Lord, is the name Adonai. From the rest of the Psalm we realize this is the coming Messiah.

So David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is repeating a dialogue between God Almighty and the coming Christ. He is saying something like this: “The Lord God says to my Lord the Messiah, sit on my throne to rule the universe”.

What is puzzling about this is that David regards the Christ as superior to himself, calling him, Lord,V:44-Read.

The Messiah was supposed to be David’s son, and in that culture fathers did not call their sons Lord.

Yet here is a person so great that even David calls him Lord.

This is something that no earthly monarch would do. The son is to honor the father, not the other way around.

So the reasoning is when the Messiah came, surely he would pay homage to David as his great father. Yet here David is the one who gives homage, acknowledging the superiority of his son.

The Messiah would be David’s son, yet David also calls him Lord.

V:42-43, And the one who David calls Lord would sit at the right hand of God, until every last one of his enemies is defeated. The right hand of God represents God’s own rule and authority. To sit at the right hand of God is to reign in glory and share in the Majesty of God.

Who is this mighty king?

Who is this ruler so great that David calls him Lord? If the Messiah is only David’s son, how can he be superior to him? What is the solution to this riddle?

Jesus is not denying that he was the son of David, he knew that he was. But Jesus is using the Scripture to prove that he is more than the son of David; Jesus was and is the very son of God!

The Christ was David’s Lord, because he was also David’s God!

This riddle can only be solved if Jesus is God as well as man; if he is both human and divine.

The historical records show that as a man, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed a physical descendent of King David. The Christ was David’s son.

But the Bible testifies that Jesus is also God, that by the virgin birth he has a divine nature as well as a human nature. Jesus had already given many convincing proofs of his divine power. Every miracle he performed was a proof that he was God; as creator God, Jesus had power over nature, sin, sickness, demons and death. Jesus showed three of his disciples his glory on the Mount of Trans.

Nothing is more critical than believing that Jesus Christ is God and man! Jesus in these verses presents us with some of the most important things anyone can ever know.

· The Incarnation.

-“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

-“God was manifest in the flesh…

Jesus became one of us to save us, but he did it without abandoning his deity, and therefore he has power to save us.

· The Trinity.

We learn in these verses that there is one God in three persons. How can David say, the Lord says to my Lord…? Unless there is more than one person in the Godhead? The only answer is the Trinity; the one true God exist in three persons: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit.

· The Resurrection and Ascension.

These verses present the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Jesus is telling these people before his death on the cross that he will rise and will be exalted to the right hand of God.

Jesus knew that he would soon be put to death for our sins, but the day was coming when he would rise to the throne of the universe and rule forever. And all his enemies would be under his feet!

What Jesus said made such a deep impression on his disciples; they would quote this Psalm more than any other after his resurrection.

It shows up more than 20 times in the New Testament!

Peter used it when he preached on the day of Pentecost, and 3000 people were saved.

-Read.

The apostle Paul used the same Psalm to prove that when Jesus raises us from the dead will would destroy our enemies. .

The book of Hebrews uses to show that Jesus is superior to the Angels:

-“But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Jesus presents us with, a question to answer.

This is the most important question that you’ll ever answer; who is Jesus Christ? He is more than just a mere man, from the family of David; he is the son of God, from heaven, wrapped in human flesh.

-“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Nothing, nothing is more important than knowing that Jesus is the son of God, the Savior of the world!

And because this is so foundational to salvation! You can’t be saved if you don’t know you’re a sinner and Jesus is the Savior! Therefore Satan does all he can to keep people from knowing these two things. Satan does not want People to Know who Jesus Christ really is!!

Therefore who Jesus Christ is; is rejected by cults and false religion.

The Mormons teach that Jesus, is the spirit brother of Lucifer, and just one of the millions of spirits born in heaven.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, teach that Jesus was Michael the archangel before His birth, and that he lived as nothing more than a perfect man and was resurrected as a spirit being after His death.

The Jesus of Islam was a human prophet of Allah who taught Islamic truth.

But the Bible teaches that Jesus was much more, than a prophet, miracle worker, healer, or wise sage. Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth! And he sits on the right hand of God in heaven; and he alone has the words of eternal life! Does it thrill your soul to know that Jesus Christ, the son of God, is Lord over all?

If you have repented of your sin, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; then David’s Lord, is also your Lord, and you will be raised with him to eternal life!

There is, #1:

1. A Question to Answer.

From the Scriptures this morning there is, #2:

2. A Warning to Heed.

V:45-46-“Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples…Beware of the scribes…

The most gracious words that have ever been spoken came from the lips of Jesus. We are told that Jesus is a friend of sinners. Jesus said, come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. People marveled at the gracious words that he spoke.

But… We also find some of the most convicting words in all of the world coming from the lips of Jesus.

Jesus reserved his harshest words for the religious people of his day. Jesus always welcomed sinners who knew they did not deserve anything except to be damned. But he made people who thought they were good very uncomfortable.

Jesus, comforted the afflicted; and afflicted the comforted!

Jesus said, Beware of the Scribes!

And then he gave his last speech to the religious leaders of his day; and it was a doozy! Jesus had been speaking about their hypocrisy for some time, and this is the icing on the cake, V:45-47.

Jesus was speaking to his disciples, but this was an open rebuke, of the scribes that everyone respected as the most spiritual men in Israel.

Right in front of everyone, Jesus showed what was wrong with their religion, and what is wrong with anyone who tries to impress people, instead of trying to please God.

1. Beware of putting on a show.

V:46-Read.

Their long robes “were a sign of distinction.”

These men liked to show how religious, and important, they thought there knowledge and position outwardly proved that God was pleased with them inwardly. It was all for a show, and it revealed exactly what was wrong with their religion. They were only concerned with the outward appearance not with having a heart for God.

They focused on the outward, they craved attention; whenever they went to the marketplace they loved to be greeted with titles. They wanted people to call them “the most esteemed and learned doctor so-and-so.”

They expected praise; they demanded praise.

When they went to worship at their local synagogue, they insisted on sitting in the best seats in the house.

When they went to a wedding or some other celebration, they were offended if they did not get a place at the head table.

These men craved recognition. They wanted everyone to give them the honor they thought they deserved.

This can be a temptation for disciples, which is why Jesus tells us to beware of the scribes. We are not to find our identity in what we wear, or in how successful we are in the eyes of people or our social status.

Parking in VIP parking, having premium seating, platinum service; does not make you any more valuable. Helpful, yes… but valuable, no.

We are called to be who we are in Christ, nothing more and nothing less. We must be careful that we don’t put on a show for the eyes of men. We must not live for the praise of men, but for the approval of God!

How far this is from the example of Jesus Christ, who did not seek a place for himself, but set aside the glory he deserved to serve us to the very death.

What matters to our Savior is not what we wear, or what people call us, or where we get to sit, but who we are inside.

-“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart”.

In the case of the scribes, what the Lord saw inside was not very pretty. His all-seeing eye penetrated their outward show to see their inward insincerity.

What does the Lord see in your heart?

2. Beware of Taking Advantage of Others.

V:47-“Which devour widows houses…

The prophets condemned in the strongest terms those who took advantage of widows and orphans and Jesus joined them.

They did not listen, when Jesus gave them the great command; which was to love God with all their heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. They did not love God, and they took advantage of their neighbor; they took advantage of the poor, and of widows.

As spiritual leaders, the scribes should have been defending widows, but instead they were taking advantage of them.

They thought ministry was about them… When ministry is about others!

3. Beware of Praying for the Wrong Audience.

V:47-“and for show make long prayers…

They tried to appear to be spiritual and holy, by offering long prayers to be heard of men. They would stand on the street corner, or in the temple courts and pray long prayers.

Most people were very impressed by their prayers, but Jesus saw it for what it really was: hypocrisy. There is a time and a place for long prayers. No one knew this better than Jesus, who sometimes spent the whole night in prayer. A prayer needs to be as long as it needs to be.

But when prayers are offered for the benefit of peoples ears, it is offense to God. What is disturbing is how often we fall into the same trap by caring more about what people think than about what God knows.

Do you really want to be godly, or would you be content to neglect the life of your soul as long as people still thought you were godly? Beware of the scribes!

Do not try to be something in front of other people that is not what you are before God.

4. Beware of the Judgment of God.

V:47-“They will receive the greater condemnation”

These words of warning were spoken by the very person who one day will judge the world. Jesus wants to be sure we know how bad things will go for many religious people on the Day of Judgment.

The more we know about God, the more he expects us to follow him in the truth, and the more he will condemn us for living a lie.

J. C. Ryle said, “No sin seems to be regarded by Christ as more sinful than hypocrisy.

Why is this sin so hateful to God?

Because God wants us to be before others, what we are before him.

The hypocrites of the church, especially spiritual leaders will fall under the everlasting condemnation of a holy and almighty God. People who pretended to belong to God but never really did, will be cast into hell.

The only way to escape this condemnation is to put your faith in Jesus, for there is -“Now no condemnation for those who are in Christ”.

If you are lost, admit it, and ask Jesus to save you!

If you are living like a hypocrite, admit it, and go to the Cross, and ask Jesus to forgive you and strength you, and in His power live a genuine Christ-centered life.

1. A Question to Answer.

Who is Jesus… the son of David…the Son of God… the king of glory the lord of Heaven and earth!

2. A Warning to Heed.

Don’t live a hyprocrial life, be genuine, and be real, live to please God, not just to impress others!