Sermon Tone Analysis

Matt 13:54-14:12 "Heart Breaking Events"

Marc Transparenti / General

The Grace of the King / Grace; Herod Antipas; Herod Antipas beheads John the Baptist; Herod Antipas Swears an Oath to Herodias' Daughter in Jerusalem; Salome (Daughter of Herodias); Herodias; Herodias's daughter dances for Herod; Jesus is rejected at Nazareth (Luke) / Matthew 13:54-58; Matthew 14:1-12

Jesus is rejected and John is put to death.

Good morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Mom's...Happy Mother's Day!

You are blessed and appreciated!

• If you don't have a Bible, please raise your hands and one of our ushers will bring you one.

• If this is your first time at Calvary Chapel...I'm Pastor Marc...welcome!

• Calvary Chapel is known for a few things...a relaxed environment, vibrant worship, and teaching the Bible chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse.

Thanks for joining us today!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 13.

The Gospel of Matthew is written to a Jewish audience with the intent of portraying Jesus as their King and Messiah.

In Chapters 1-10 the theme is "The King Revealed" as Matthew unveils several things about Jesus...

• Jesus' Davidic lineage... Fulfilled prophecy in birth... and Kingly gifts from Wise Men.

• Jesus is announced by the forerunner John the Baptist, and approved by the Father and the Holy Spirit at His baptism.

• Jesus triumphed over Satan's temptations, entered ministry, and choose Capernaum as His headquarters.

• Jesus delivered the Sermon of the King / The Sermon on the Mount...which laid out principals for His citizens.

• Jesus then demonstrated had Kingly Authority through various miracles, teachings, and power over man and nature.

Starting in Chapter 11, the theme shifts to "The King Rejected."

• In Chapters 11-12, Opposition to the King became evident.

• In Chapter 13, Jesus, in response to the opposition, spoke in parables...8 parables...and depending on the soil of one's heart...good or bad...the truth of the parable was either concealed or revealed.

• Now, from Matthew 13:54 to Matt 16:12 we observe a theme of grace.

Thus, "The Grace of the King" will be our next general theme until Matt 16:12, and the reason for this theme is... despite mounting hostilities and various rejections of Jesus that we already observed and will continue to observe, Jesus continues healing and ministering the people...His grace is unwavering.

• Grace is receiving mercy (getting what you don't deserve) with an added blessing on top.

• As we go through these next few chapters...let's be reminded and reflect upon the grace Jesus has given us as well.

Today, we'll pick up in Matt 13:54 and cover through Matt 14:12, looking at Jesus being rejected in His hometown, and the death of John the Baptist.

Today's, sermon is titled "Heart Breaking Events."

Let's pray!

Matt 13:54-58 "When He had come to His own country, [Mark tells us "His disciples followed Him," so the disciples are there as well] He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

55 Is this not the carpenter's son? [Mark states, "Is this not the carpenter?"

referring to Jesus.

Either way, Jesus grew up in the trade under Joseph, so both statements are true.

We often think of Jesus as a carpenter in the sense of a wood worker, but carpenter in Gk. is tĕktōn by def.

"a general craftsman in wood, stone, even engraving," so Jesus' skill set was likely a little broader].

continuing in V55... "Is not His mother called Mary?

And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? [good proof text against the 'Perpetual Virginity of Mary'].

Where then did this Man get all these things?"

[wisdom and mighty works] 57 So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."

58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief."

1.

At the end of Chapter 13, Jesus departs from the Sea, and heads to His own country, Nazareth.

I have a map to help you visualize His journey.

2. "His own country" refers to Nazareth...where Jesus was raised.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but raised in Nazareth.

a. It's very interesting how God used natural events several times in Jesus' childhood to move the family from place to place...and there is a lesson in this for us.

i.

In Luke 2, we read about the Roman census that brought Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born...fulfilling Mic 5:2.

ii.

At the end of Matt chapter 2...Herod the Great killed all the male children in Bethlehem (fulfilling Jer 31:15), which caused Jesus' family to flee (as warned by an angel), and they lived in Egypt for several years.

iii.

After Herod the Great died, it was safe for Jesus' family to return from Egypt...again an angel instructed Joseph... now to return to Israel,... but they found out that one of Herod's sons (Herod Archelaus) ruled over the a large province that included Bethlehem...and he was as crazy as his Pops!

1. Archelaus was known for tyranny, murder, and instability, so Jesus' family avoided his province, and headed further north to Nazareth (where Herod Antipas ruled...who was more tolerable...though not great).

2. Matt 2:23 notes, "And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

iv.

So you can see how God used natural life circumstances to get Jesus' family to move here and there, but not by accident...it was intentional and these moves fulfilled prophecy.

b.

In our lives, God uses natural circumstances to guide our steps.

For me, I have learned to wait upon the Lord to open doors for my next step.

I know of 4 significant waiting seasons in my life since 2012, all have been ministry related...and all have been valuable.

i.

In my experience, when the Lord stirred our hearts to do something, a natural circumstances was related to the stirring...

1. Career fluctuation and drama stirred me to quit my career and go to Bible College to be equipped for ministry;

2. Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines stirred us towards missionary work;

3. President Duterte in the Philippines aligning with China stirred us to come home;

4. Being recruited for a job stirred us to come to Indiana.

5. Natural life events have moved us place to place to accomplish God's will.

ii.

And, the idea of God stirring hearts is Biblical.

One of my favorite verses where this is portrayed is Exo 35:21 "Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD's offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments."

1.

If your heart is stirred and your spirit is willing, you can accomplish mighty things for the Lord.

iii.

After God stirred our hearts, then we waited...(because we all like waiting).

God stirred our hearts...gave us His vision...and then said, "Now wait!"

As Americans...this is hard.

1.

But, in waiting He prepares us and teaches us, and then in His perfect timing, He opened the doors to go and do.

iv.

Clinging to Bible verses to stay encouraged and focused in these waiting seasons is vital!

1. Hold Bible verses close to your heart...post them around your house...read them in the mornings...

v.

Some of my favorites "waiting season" verses are...

1. Ps 27:14 "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

2. Isa 40:31 "But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

vi.

If you are in a waiting season, be encouraged...these verses promise that God will strengthen your heart, renew your strength, and you will endure.

God is doing something.

1.

And, many times I have looked back and had an "Aha" moment...in retrospect I could see what God was doing.

2. And, I'm sure as God took Joseph and his family from place to place and had them in waiting seasons, they too could see the hand of God in their lives.

3. Back to Matthew.

Jesus is now in His own country...Nazareth... with His disciples and Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on Sabbath (as recorded in Mark 6:2).

a.

This is not the first time Jesus taught in the Synagogue at Nazareth on Sabbath.

You may recall a very similar scene in Nazareth, a year or so prior, in Luke 4 as Jesus taught from Isaiah 61...prophesying of His first coming, telling the listeners, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing"...and the people marveled at His gracious words, but responded, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Jesus responded, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country."

i.

In Matt 13, it's like we are re-living this event, except in Luke 4, the people are filled with wrath when Jesus speaks against them and they attempted to throw Him over a cliff.

But, Jesus miraculously escapes through the midst of them.

b.

A year or so later, Jesus is back in Nazareth...teaching again, and despite recognizing Jesus' wisdom and miraculous power...they don't worship Him, but question where He got these things.

And, by these questions they reject Him, and condemn themselves.