Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew Part 7
Rev. John Lin
25 March 2012
Matthew 26: 36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
JESUS WAS SHAKEN BY THE THOUGHT OF HIS DEATH
--not the physical pain, but the abandonment of God.
--the feeling of rejection, by God, his FATHER.
SACRIFICE OF JESUS WAS A SACRIFICE OF LOVE
--a TRUE love that answers to the objective reality of God's wrath.
--God's love and wrath are interconnected.
JESUS OBEYS GOD DESPITE UNANSWERED PRAYERS AND EVENTUAL ABANDONMENT
--We are treated in the way that Jesus unequivocably obeyed God.
--God sees us through Jesus's Record and actions.
COMFORT IN HARDSHIP
--Jesus endured the wrath of God, so what can we really do to lose his love for us.
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
--Honest prayer where be bear all our sins and secrets.
--Don't pray for results, pray so that "thy will be done".
PATIENCE WITHOUT SELF PITY.
--Jesus endured the ultimate suffering without complaint--surely, we can endure our petty issues.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Into Jerusalem
Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew - Part 6
Dr. Timothy Keller
18 March 2012
Matthew 21:1-14
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away"
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"say to the Daiughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.;"
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hoasanna in the highest!"
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11The crowds answered, "this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer', but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
CONFRONTATIONAL KING
--Jesus was humble, but not modest.
--Crown me or Kill me--worhsip or destroy me.
--Once you hear his words, there can be no middle ground.
COUNTERINTUITIVE KING
--The King didn't ride in on a grand stallion, but rather on a baby donkey.
--Coming in to rule and save--not by grand power, but by sacrificing and dying.
--We mistakenly go to God and ask Him what we think we need instead of realizing that He already knows what we need.
COMING KING
--His sacrifice and resurrection marks the end of everything that is wrong with the material world...and points the way to fix it.
Dr. Timothy Keller
18 March 2012
Matthew 21:1-14
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away"
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"say to the Daiughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.;"
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hoasanna in the highest!"
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11The crowds answered, "this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer', but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
CONFRONTATIONAL KING
--Jesus was humble, but not modest.
--Crown me or Kill me--worhsip or destroy me.
--Once you hear his words, there can be no middle ground.
COUNTERINTUITIVE KING
--The King didn't ride in on a grand stallion, but rather on a baby donkey.
--Coming in to rule and save--not by grand power, but by sacrificing and dying.
--We mistakenly go to God and ask Him what we think we need instead of realizing that He already knows what we need.
COMING KING
--His sacrifice and resurrection marks the end of everything that is wrong with the material world...and points the way to fix it.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Transfiguration
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew - Part 5
Rev David Bisgrove
11 March 2012
Matthew 17:1-23
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't thell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
10The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
11Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
GLIMPSE
--Who is Jesus? the Son of God.
--You have to lose your own material life to find HIM.
--Moses's face reflected the radiance of Jesus--There was a greater healing in beholding HIS splendor than in beholding our own.
--Have I domesticated Jesus for my own needs? He should wow and awe me.
--Following Jesus is the ball game.
--It's not an option to "kind of" follow him
GAP
--Terrified response when glimpsing the true nature of Jesu--because I realize that I can never live up to HIM.
--Gap widens as we glorify things above Jesus.
TOUCH
--Jeusus alone can bridger the gap.
--Presence of God points the way back to God.
--Listen to Jesus and experience it!
--God's word is life--so pay attention!
--Help to touch other people's lives too--Help them experience Jesus by showing your generosity.
FOLLOWING AND KNOWING JESUS IS A LIFE LONG PROCESS.
Rev David Bisgrove
11 March 2012
Matthew 17:1-23
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."
5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't thell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
10The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
11Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
GLIMPSE
--Who is Jesus? the Son of God.
--You have to lose your own material life to find HIM.
--Moses's face reflected the radiance of Jesus--There was a greater healing in beholding HIS splendor than in beholding our own.
--Have I domesticated Jesus for my own needs? He should wow and awe me.
--Following Jesus is the ball game.
--It's not an option to "kind of" follow him
GAP
--Terrified response when glimpsing the true nature of Jesu--because I realize that I can never live up to HIM.
--Gap widens as we glorify things above Jesus.
TOUCH
--Jeusus alone can bridger the gap.
--Presence of God points the way back to God.
--Listen to Jesus and experience it!
--God's word is life--so pay attention!
--Help to touch other people's lives too--Help them experience Jesus by showing your generosity.
FOLLOWING AND KNOWING JESUS IS A LIFE LONG PROCESS.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Healing the Sick
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew - Part 4
Dr. Timothy Keller
04 March 2012
Matthew 8:5-17
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6"Lord", he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go', and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
14When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases."
PROOF
--Miracles are the proof of who Jesus is--son of God
--He commands a universal sphere of influence.
POINTERS
--Jesus does not flaunt power--only uses it to relieve suffering
--Jesus works to relieve suffering back to a time when there was no suffering (Eden)
--Miracles are the restoration of natural laws that were disrupted by sin in Eden
--Miracles are a radical agenda for our lives--Jesus wasn't satisfied with the world and neither should we be.
PATTERN
--Jesus is vulnerable--he becomes weak to make others strong.
--He doesn't bring judgement, but is here to bear it.
Rodney Stark - The Rise of Christianity.
Dr. Timothy Keller
04 March 2012
Matthew 8:5-17
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6"Lord", he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go', and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
14When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our infirmities
and carried our diseases."
PROOF
--Miracles are the proof of who Jesus is--son of God
--He commands a universal sphere of influence.
POINTERS
--Jesus does not flaunt power--only uses it to relieve suffering
--Jesus works to relieve suffering back to a time when there was no suffering (Eden)
--Miracles are the restoration of natural laws that were disrupted by sin in Eden
--Miracles are a radical agenda for our lives--Jesus wasn't satisfied with the world and neither should we be.
PATTERN
--Jesus is vulnerable--he becomes weak to make others strong.
--He doesn't bring judgement, but is here to bear it.
Rodney Stark - The Rise of Christianity.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The First Temptation
Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew - Part 3
Reverend David Bisgrove
26 February 2012
Matthew 4:1-11
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
7Jesus also answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put your Lord God to the test.'"
8Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from mem Satan! For it is written" 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
THE BLUEPRINT
--The Baptism of Jesus represents everything Satan opposes.
--Prior to the temptation in the desert, Jesus was baptised by John with water.
--Baptism of Jesus, THEN the temptation; acts as a reset button--a reformation
--Genesis parallels--Let there be light, THEN there was light.
--Baptism of Jesus THEN the new story begins.
--Baptism is the birth of Jesus--it was the word become flesh;
THE TEST
--Jesus fasts to show that all you need is God.
--Sin is loving something more than God---whether its money, food, etc.
Reverend David Bisgrove
26 February 2012
Matthew 4:1-11
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
"'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
7Jesus also answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put your Lord God to the test.'"
8Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from mem Satan! For it is written" 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
THE BLUEPRINT
--The Baptism of Jesus represents everything Satan opposes.
--Prior to the temptation in the desert, Jesus was baptised by John with water.
--Baptism of Jesus, THEN the temptation; acts as a reset button--a reformation
--Genesis parallels--Let there be light, THEN there was light.
--Baptism of Jesus THEN the new story begins.
--Baptism is the birth of Jesus--it was the word become flesh;
THE TEST
--Jesus fasts to show that all you need is God.
--Sin is loving something more than God---whether its money, food, etc.
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