Jesus response to the Pharisee's accusations

With Jesus authenticating himself as the great “I Am” of the Old Testament we now get to watch how the Pharisees respond once again when a demon-oppressed man is brought to him. Please read Matthew 12:22-32. Notice the crowds response- they were amazed! They were continuously amazed and beside themselves as Jesus continued to heal all that was brought to him. The crowds began to ask the question “Can this the Son of David?” Jesus’ answer to this question is yes if you have ears to hear and eyes to see with. The Pharisees ministry and influence as decreasing and they became jealous of Jesus. They reveal to us just how wicked a person’s heart can be. The Pharisees respond this way because they don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of David. They accuse Jesus of doing these miracles by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. God’s word is right with these words: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10) No matter what religion you may or may not practice, one truth is for sure: we do not know just how wicked and sinful our hearts are! As I reflect on my life I do not know the depravity of my own heart. God does! Our sinful wicked heart is a divided heart. Jesus reveals this truth as he responds to the Pharisees accusations with this truth: A house divided against itself will fall (vs. 25). The same truth applies today. The same is truth applies in a marriage, in a business and yes even in a local church body! The only way any person, or group can have a united heart for one purpose is to take Jesus up on his invitation: “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Jesus has the authority and power to set you free from Satan’s control and transform your life. Jesus received the authority from the Father to bind Satan and plunder his house. Jesus paid for your sin debt in full on the cross when he shed his blood for your soul. Let’s get one truth perfectly clear: Jesus satisfied the wrath of God because we as sinful humans were not and are not able to do so. Jesus under the authority of God the Father bound Satan up and plundered his house. Every person who has ever been plundered from the house of Satan has been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. The classic hymn has it right: What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only reason my life is different today. I invite you to give your life to him!

Jesus' Authentication as the real Messiah

Have you ever seen Vaseline glass? Normally you would find this in an antique store and it will be a green colored dish that was made during the early nineteen hundreds. If you are not careful you can mistakenly buy a piece of green Depression glass from the same time period. So before you buy how would this glass as the real deal? First you must remember that Vaseline glass is also known as uranium glass. This uranium glass will glow a bright green under ultraviolet light. What make it glow is the uranium oxide that is added to it during the process of making it. So you would want to carry an ultraviolet light around with you or down load the application on to your cell phone. Turn it on and it should glow and you know that you are holding the real deal in your hands before you purchase it. As we continue through the book of Matthew how do we know that Jesus is the great “I Am” of the Old Testament? There would have to be a way to authenticate what Jesus is doing and saying so that a person could make the adjustment of their lives to him. In Matthew 11:28-30 he gave an invitation to come to him and find rest for your souls. The Pharisees ask him a question concerning his disciples breaking the laws of the Sabbath in which he replied that he was the Lord of the Sabbath. As Lord of the Sabbath he responded with an answer that gave interpretation of the Law that differed from the one they were teaching people. Let’s read how Jesus authenticated that he is the Lord of the Sabbath before the Pharisees and their response in Matthew 12:9-14. I hope that you have taken the time to read this passage because in it we read how Jesus authenticated himself as the great “I Am” the one who is the Lord of the Sabbath. Notice that they are now asking “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” They are looking for a way to accuse him so that they could get rid of him. His response to them is that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath because a person is more valuable than an animal. If you’re struggling with your self-value you need to know that you are loved by God with an everlasting love. He sent his Son to die in your place and pay a sin debt that you could not pay. Jesus Christ laid down his life voluntarily because he loves you. Jesus authenticated that he is the Lord of the Sabbath when he healed with man with just a spoken word. The LORD performed a similar miracle with Moses at the burning bush. The Pharisees responded by plotting against Jesus so that they could destroy him. How will you respond to Jesus? Respond to him with repentance and submission calling upon him to save you from your sins.

Jesus responds to the Phrsiees

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who will always be on the fringe of your life judging you? This happened to Jesus and the group that was judging his teaching and his disciple’s practices was called the Pharisees. The Pharisees in an honest attempt to be holy before God and to be obedient to His commands set in place certain rules and regulations that they would follow so as not to break God’s commandments. This complex system that the Pharisees developed over time turned into a system of legalism. Let’s listen to Jesus as he responds to the Pharisees concerning their judgment concerning his disciples practice on the Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-8. Let’s begin by noticing that the Pharisees were judging based on their oral tradition of the law and not what the Law said. Jesus responds to the Pharisees concern with two Old Testament examples and the passage of Scripture from Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” This passage of Scripture teaches the LORD responded on two different occasion when the Law was being broken. Jesus recalls when David and his men were given the bread that was the sacred bread that only the priest could eat as the Lord prescribed to them. God gave King David mercy because he and his men were in need because they were on the run from King Saul. The LORD also made provisions within the Law so that the priest could do their ministry on the Sabbath day and not be guilty. The biblical truth that Jesus taught is still applicable today. Jesus is able to give the right interpretation of Scripture because he is the Son of Man who is the Lord of the Sabbath. The Pharisees struggled with applying Jesus’ interpretation of Scripture to their lives. Some of the Pharisees came to faith in Jesus after his resurrection and found rest for their souls. The same is true for you today when apply Jesus’ interpretation of the Scripture to your life. This wonderful news because God’s peace doesn’t change but our life situations are constantly changing. This why every person who has called upon Jesus to be their Lord and Savior needs to take following him seriously. God has given each person who has been born again a wonderful gift. This gift is the Holy Spirit who is God taking up residence in the life of each believer. He helps each person to know and apply Jesus’ interpretation of Scripture to your life. If you do not learn to study and apply the Bible for yourself you will be a practicing modern day Pharisee. I invite you to learn how to study the Bible using the inductive study method. I would like to recommend three Study Bibles that most people would benefit from: The ESV Study Bible published by Crossway, the NIV Study Bible edited by D.A. Carson and the CSB Study Bible.

Resting on a Friday

Our cat knows how to rest.

Learning from Jesus

Growing up you probably got to learn from someone showing and telling you how they wanted something done. Fishing is one of those show and tell but it requires a lot of patients and practice. I started fishing from the bank with a cane pole and then graduated to learning to fish from the middle of the boat on the river. Learning to fish from the middle of the boat required me to learn a whole new technique in casting a lure. My dad taught me to fish from the middle of a boat by taking a five gallon bucket and setting it up in the yard so that I could practice casting under the dogwood trees. This would keep me from being hung up in the trees. He explained that I had to cast a certain way. The reason why I mention this is because learning is a lifelong process. Learning to follow Jesus is also a lifelong process he gives us an invitation to come and learn from him in Matthew 11:28-30. I am going to ask you to please read the verses and those that surround it. Jesus’ invitation is to everyone and anyone who is weary of trying to keep the Law of God man’s ways. Have you ever noticed how heavy and burdensome it is trying to please God in your own strength? You cannot do it. It is impossible. But when we come to Jesus submitting to him and abiding he enables us to do what we cannot do ourselves. That when we find rest for our souls. When He calls us to himself and gives us a command to follow he enables us to follow through. He commands us to take up his yoke and learn from him. Jesus comes alongside us and helps us to learn how to do life his way. Learning to live life the way that Jesus wants me to requires me to die to my selfish way and follow his ways. Putting to death selfish sinful ways is not easy but through prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit it can be done. I don’t know about you but for me this is difficult sometimes because I want to do life my way and ask God to bless it. As I learn from him and put into practice what he is teaching me I find true rest for my soul. I live for his approval not anyone else. As I learn from Jesus, I discover that he is no harsh task master but someone who wants God best for me. I am inviting you to come to Jesus and learn from him. He wants God’s best for you. Just as my father taught me how to cast a fishing rod so could fish with him on the river, Jesus will teach you how to be a disciple of his so that you can be on mission with him to make disciples of those around you.

It is Finsihed!

The other day I received a phone call from my dad and he instructed that they were had caught 32 fish where they had went fishing. He then proceeded to tell me in a polite way as only a dad can that I was to clear my calendar and go fishing with him. I was very happy to do so. It’s not every day that I get to go fishing with my dad. We had fun caught some fish and we when got home the work began. My work wasn’t complete or finished until we cleaned them. When the last one was cleaned we were finished. We were exhausted but filled with joy because our work was complete. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes with that. I am sure that at some point in a project you to where glad to say it is finished. The sense of accomplishment does the soul well. Well on this day over two thousand years ago the words “It is finished” were spoken by Jesus before he died on the cross. I invite you to read with me John 19:28-30 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (ESV) Have you ever thought about these words “It is finished”? The reason why these words are so powerful is because Jesus paid for our sin debt in full. He completed the work of redemption. He paid our sin debt with his own blood to God the Father so that we could be forgiven and adapted in God’s family. Here is our struggle, we want to add something to the finished work of salvation that Christ completed. The reason why we cannot add anything thing to the finished work of what Jesus did on the cross is because he said “It is finished!” When God raised Jesus Christ from the grave he showed that he approved of his atoning sacrifice that was done on the cross. Paul writes this in his letter to the Ephesians in 2:14-16 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” God is inviting you to place your faith in the finished work of his son Jesus Christ, your response to this invitation determines the outcome of your eternal destination. No matter what your religious background is God invitation is “Come to Jesus He is Risen!”

Accepting the Spirit's help

You know accepting help sometimes is the hardest part of living as a person. I want to do it one my own. When if the truth is known deep down I really could use some help to help me with whatever it is that I am doing. Do you have this same struggle with accepting help because you want to do it on your own? The most difficult part about becoming a Christian is accepting Jesus help in salvation. We cannot save ourselves he has to help us by doing the work of salvation for us completely. Being saved by Jesus is just the beginning. We cannot keep ourselves saved either, he does that for us to. You may struggle with this to, but being saved from ones sins is a work of God from beginning to end. What about approaching God through prayer. If you were taught to pray at the mealtime your parent probably taught you this prayer: God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Bow our heads we are all fed. Thank you Lord for daily bread. Amen! This is one of our weakness that we need help with as Christians-learning how to have a conversation with our heavenly Father. Jesus taught the Disciples how to pray because they asked him to teach them how to pray. But today, we have not only the word of God to help us to learn how to pray but we have a Helper, who will come along side of us and help us in our prayer life. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to prayer for as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27) Are we willing to accept the Spirits help in our prayer life. If we are willing to admit to the Lord that we need help in our prayer life then God’s grace is there to help us. We can then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) So if we have the help of the Spirit in our prayer life, and we can come boldly to the throne of grace to ask for help in time of need then why don’t we. If we listen to the guidance of the Helper, the Spirit of Truth, he will come along side us and help us, he will teach what to ask for in prayer and when we ask for what is on God’s heart we have answered prayer. I John 5:13-15 teaches us this. If you would like to learn more about the Spirit’s work in the life of a follower of Jesus I invite you to church Sunday.