Moving Through Matthew (2)
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As we move forward towards Jesus’ path to the cross and his resurrection, this morning we will close out chapter 17 and the look into the first few verses of Chapter 18.
>> Cornerstone Church Creed
Open up your Bibles to Matthew 17:22-23
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
This the 2nd time. The first time (Matthew 16:21-23) that Jesus told them this, there was resistance from Peter as he told Jesus I am not going to allow this to happen. Remember, Jesus’ response. GET BEHIND ME SATAN! Peter wasn’t really Satan, but by trying to change God’s plan, he was acting like it.
The 3rd time he mentions what is going to happen comes in Chapter 20, and at that point, Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem.
So why would Jesus tell them three times?
Jesus was their teacher, he was training them, preparing them for what would happen after he ascended into heaven to be with the Father. At the end of Matthew, when we get to Matthew 28, Jesus tells them what they are to do:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So even now, six months before the time he is crucified, he is preparing them. Shaping them to become apostles, those who go out with his Word.
They are still learning, who he is, what his purpose is, and even how all of that will be carried out… and so he continues to remind them… keeping it fresh in their mind.
But after this time, (the 2nd) they have a different reaction. The first time, Peter said it would not happen, and this time, they were greatly distressed. DISTRESS: Sorrow, Grief, Sadness.
Now lets look at the last part of Chapter 17.
24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
I know you don’t pay tax here in the village. But if you go into some places in Nsukka that are organized, you pay a tax on everything you buy.
EXAMPLE: So I go to Ugo Sunachi about once a week. Ugo Sunachi is a store they call it a mall in Nsukka. I go there sometimes to buy cokes, soap, sweets. But when I buy them I pay for what I bought AND tax on the total amount. It’s called VAT. VALUE ADDED TAX. VAT is 7.5% of what I buy. So if I spend N1000 they add VAT to that and I will actually pay N1075. Now that 75 naira does not go to Ugo Sunachi, but it goes to the government. Taxes go to pay salaries for the government people, road repair and other things.
That is a tax. So during this day, the people would pay a tax to the temple. Matthew, the writer of this was a tax collector before he began to follow Jesus. So the tax collectors walked up to Peter and asked, does Jesus pay the tax? Peter replied yes. Then Jesus came into the house and ask Peter, when someone is a king, who do they take the tax from? Their own sons or the people?
What point was Jesus trying to make? First it wasn’t Jesus’ place to pay a tax to the Temple. Jesus was once again showing that he had come to fulfill the Law. The temple, seen here as the Old Testament Law was fulfilled in him. But also, as KING, he didn’t need to pay a tax, but to keep everyone happy for the moment and not cause a disturbance, he paid the tax.
How did he do it? the money came from the mouth of a fish. This is pretty incredible. I mean all of Jesus’ miracles were incredible, but this one! Wow. (Fish)
Chapter 18 begins at the time when Chapter 17 concludes. Look at verse 1.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
WHO IS THE G.O.A.T?
The disciples were getting the idea now that the Kingdom of Heaven was getting closer and closer. But still, in their minds, the Kingdom of Heaven was an earthly kingdom. Jesus reigning from Jerusalem and leading his people against their enemies…namely the Roman Empire.
So as they were talking amongst themselves, the disciples starting wondering who will be the greatest of them in the new kingdom. I mean, Jesus had said that he would build his church on Peter. Was Peter going to be the greatest? It was Peter, James, and John that Jesus took up on the mountain…would it be James of John?
They were looking at themselves, the twelve, and wondering who it would be.
But as they are looking at themselves as the one who would be the greatest, Jesus calls to a small child to join him. And look what he says:
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Does Jesus mean that only small children will enter heaven. No. He says “unless you turn and become like children”
How can someone turn and become like children? The KJV uses the word “converted.” It says
King James Version Chapter 18
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven
For salvation to truly happen, there must be a turning. A conversion. There needs to be a change. Salvation is not just a prayer that when you say it, you say Amen and God gives you a ticket to heaven. There has got to be a change. There has got to be a turning away from what you were to who you are now. That’s why Paul said
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
There has got to be a change. And that turning is seem in a child by their humility.
***If I tell you go go see Mom, will you go see her? Ok, Go.
Humility.
Now as we finish the section,I want to tell you that Jesus is not telling us to act like children. In this chapter, even through he uses a child and humility as an example, child here points to fellow believers, Christians.
Look at verse 5
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
This is a message to the church. You are the church. Others believers around you are the church, Each of us have a responsibility to the other members of the church. To build them up, encourage them as they walk daily with God.
Jesus died for the church, he gave his life for it. What did Jesus say about it in chapter 17… “that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” This is a word to all of us as believers, we should be careful not to lead another fellow believer down a path of sin.
I don’t know about you, but when I stand before God, I don’t want to answer for a negative difference I made towards a fellow believer. Let’s encourage each other .
The writer of Hebrews said this:
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
How can you display humility in your own life and help lead others in their walk with God?
Turn. Pray. See. Invest.
How can we display humility and point others to Christ?
TURN
PRAY
SEE
INVEST
Turn away from sin and give your life to God. Make him your Savior, everyday.
Pray that God would open your eyes to someone that needs encouragement.
See. Look for opportunities. It’s easy, just stop and observe.
INVEST When God shows you someone, take the time to pour into their life. Maybe you are their senior. Talk to them, encourage them in the Lord....not just once. But over and over again.