Untitled Sermon

Matthew 26-27

The woman in 26:6-13 is willing to give Jesus her best/everything, but the Disciples are not…we find out in John that the disciple who asked this question was Jesus. This story is in all 4 gospels.

Jesus is not speaking against ministering to the poor (that would negate one of his points from the previous chapter!) but saying that this woman relized the rare opportunity that she had.

30 pieces of silver is about 4 month’s wages. Judas is cashing in his chips. He must finally have realized he isn’t going to make any money off of Jesus and that it will in fact cost him everything so he gets the last amount he can out of it.

Like a good story, we keep switching scenes as it leads to the climax: what the chief priends and elders are doing, what Judas is doing, contrasted by the relaxed posture Jesus is taking! Dramatic irony? Not quite.

No one knew that Judas was anything less than a faithful disciple (v. 22)

But their response is different from Judas, who doesn’t call Him lord, but teacher. This is telling. Those who call Jesus teacher but not Lord are going to be the ones who leave Him when there is an advantage to do so.

Then…they all sang together! Cool, huh? v. 30

Peter totally sells the other disciples out, but in doing so he sets himself into some trouble. If Jesus is wrong about this, then He should be betrayed. If He is right, then He will be.

“Rise, Let us go, here comes my betrayer: v. 46 there is no dramatic irony here. Jesus fully knows what is giong on.

Jesus must have looked like anyone else

Jesus calls Judas friend. (v. 50). Wow.

Peter’s denial may be an example when we tell a lie in a clever way so we can convince ourselves we are telling the truth. His insistence that he didn’t know the man in some ways is him saying “I thought I knew who he was but I guess I was wrong.” There is a pain in lying and there is additional pain in lying and not being believed. His lie did not accomplish its purpose and he denied the Lord. He never saw this coming...

Chapter 27

Barabbas is a picture of our salvation: he was guilty, on his way to pay for his crime but some else, who was innocent, stepped in and was punished instead, allowing us to go free.

“His blood is on us and on our children” v. 25, ironic because Jesus’ blood doesn’t bring guilt or responsibility, but cleansing and purity.

Why thorns? They were a part of the curse! He is litterally wearing the curse.

Where was the fulfillment of the protoeungellium? (That the serpent would strike His heal but He would crush his skull) at the place of the skull

More ironies:

“You were going to destroy the temple! Ha!” He is allowing the temple to be destroyed before their eyes

“Save yourself if you are the Son of God” by not saving Himself, he is showing that He IS the son of God

“We will believe Him if he comes down” He would not be worth believing in if He did come down.

v. 46 is a quote from Psalm 22, a really cool prophesy

v. 54 is very cool, but incomplete, it is not that He WAS the son of God, He IS the son of God!

Three days like a movie rental or a vacation.