Words of Jesus Part 18

• Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
• 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
• 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
• 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
• 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

This is another great fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. This one is in Zechariah.

• Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Jesus tries many times to convey to us meekness and humility. If we would only just, "get it." This would solve the problem of people exalting themselves over the flock, lording over the flock, fleecing the flock and ending up exalting self, robbing Christ of His glory and leading others down the path of false teaching and religion. HUMILITY, MEEKNESS, GENTLENESS, LOVE, SERVING.............Jesus is the example here and other places. Jesus gave His life for us. He came to serve, to heal to forgive, to save and to do good.

We shouldn't have a religious ruler over all forcing everyone to obey his commandments. Some churches in the past chained up the bible and wouldn't let the common person read it for themselves. They wanted such control that they dared not allow anyone to read the bible. This is not humility and gentleness.

Some pastors warn people not to criticize or else they would be guilty of "touching God's anointed." So I guess they are wanting everyone to believe everything they say without questioning whether it is true or not. I use to be so afraid of saying anything because I didn't want to touch God's anointed or be an accuser of the brethren. When I saw the extreme prosperity doctrine being taught, when I read about people following Jim Jones to their deaths, and even read about someone who had a whole family killed because they wanted to leave his religious group, I realized there were times when we have to speak out. When I saw false doctrine, twisting scripture and new gimmicks coming into the church I began to see that someone should say something . If God's word is being cast aside for man's gimmicks and motivational speaking, someone has to say something. This past year I saw a video of someone kicking a bible into the audience to celebrate super bowl Sunday. 

I remember sitting under the bible teaching of so many anointed of God that could make the bible come alive with in depth study of the word. Not all were very highly educated but they knew the word of God.

The word will keep us from falling prey to religious leaders that exalt themselves over the flock and are not walking in the humility that Jesus taught us to have.

Don't get me wrong, I love singing and praising God but where is the study of the word we use to have? We need something that is hidden in our hearts when the trials come. Good feeling comes and goes. The word remains in the heart. The word will sustain us when the singing stops and the music is not heard.

The word will show us how much we need God, it will keep us humble and realize that we need God daily. It will also show us who is walking in truth and who is not.

NO GOOD BIBLE BELIEVING PASTOR WILL FEAR WHEN HIS CONGREGATION CHECKS EVERYTHING HE TEACHES BY THE WORD OF GOD.

If they fear their teaching will not hold up to the word of God, they shouldn't be teaching.

• Matthew 21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
• 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
• 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
• 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

This story is a good example of how praising and singing is great but it doesn't last. We need something deeper. They recognized the Messiah while the crowds were praising Him but when He became unpopular, these same people allowed a few troublemakers to cause them to turn against Him.

Yet we should praise God continually in song and in word.

• Matthew 21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
• 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
• 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
• 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

They loved Jesus when all was well but the minute He rebukes sin, they get angry. Are we like that?

Seems to me like they were taking advantage of the people who needed animals for sacrifice and sitting in the house of God to do business. Jesus called them thieves. We see people in coming in the name of the Lord today making merchandise of the gospel and devouring widows house. Let us be careful.

• Matthew 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Helping, giving, healing and bringing forth the word is what we should be doing in the house of God.  Not fleecing the flock.

• Matthew 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
• 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

We should never forbid children or anyone for that matter, to praise the Lord for the Lord is worthy of all our praise

• Matthew 21:17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
• 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
• 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
• 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
• 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
• 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

We can learn two things for verse 22. To never give up in our walk with the Lord. To believe the impossible, to strive to do the work of God and live for God without giving up. The second is to understand the need to be fruitful. The tree withered because it didn't bring forth fruit. We can wither spiritually if we don't produce the fruits of the righteousness of Jesus Christ in our own lives.

The fig tree also may represent the nation of Israel. If they do not bring forth the fruits of repentance, if they remain in unbelief and reject Jesus as their savior and Lord, they will dry up. They did disappear as a nation for nearly 2000 years until 1948. They are a nation again and they will eventually recognize Jesus as Lord and Christ.

• Matthew 21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
• 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
• 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
• 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
• 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

This seems to expose their hypocrisy. He knew they were not interested in what authority He based His teaching on but wanted to find fault. Since their reasoning prevented them from answering Jesus with an honest answer, He would not answer them.

• Matthew 21:28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
• 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
• 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
• 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

This is an example of sinners that say no to God at first but later repent. Some that have a religion of some kind claim to say yes but in works they say no. Also the Jews claimed to be the people of God and follow His laws. The Gentiles refused to follow God's laws as we see from history. Now it is reversed. Gentiles came in later and Jews rejected Christ. However, let us not be high minded, as we see the world today many Gentiles are returning to paganism and many Jewish people as I said before are coming to Christ.

• Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
• 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
• 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
• 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
• 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
• 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
• 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
• 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
• 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
• 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

A further reminder of the withered tree above. When they didn't bring forth fruits of righteousness, they were destroyed.

The ones to whom the Lord brought the gospel to, didn't bring forth the fruits of faith so they withered. The gospel then went to the Gentiles. The Gentiles received the gospel and began to bring forth fruit. Some later withered by substituting false religion instead of the word. They forsook the righteousness of Christ. Whenever one tree withers another one springs up or the Lord raises up another. So we see that the Gentiles did not replace the Jews. The Gentiles also failed and the gospel is returning to the Jews. However remember, God always had a remnant. The 12 apostles and over 3000 Israelis started the church. They were not the ones that rejected Christ. In the latter days we see many Gentiles reverting back to sin and even some pagan practices but God has a faithful remnant of them. So we do have to be careful to remember, God always has a people that knows their Lord.

• Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

The one the Jews rejected has become the head of the corner. Jesus Christ will return and set up His kingdom.

• Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

If that nation though stops bearing fruit, God will turn somewhere else. Let us seek Him daily so that He doesn't set us aside because of unfruitfulness.

• Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
• 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
• 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

This was a warning to unbelieving ones that opposed the gospel of that day but it can apply now if we reject the word of God and substitute unfruitful doctrines or allow unbelief in the one God sent to save us from sin. Remember the parable of the seeds. The cares of live, the riches of the world choked the word and it became unfruitful.

Words of Jesus Part 19

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