Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Good morning and welcome back!
If you would, start turning in your Bibles to .
We are going to continue with our Journey Through Matthew this morning, but we are going to skip ahead just a bit.
Remember last week, we finished up this initial confrontation Jesus was having with the Jews and we were talking about the Parable of Marriage Banquet.
And of course this parable was all about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the requirements for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And we also know that Jesus had pretty much ruled out the Pharisees and Sadducees entrance into heaven.
Not because of some prophetic judgement but rather because they refused to humble themselves and repent.
They refused to believe.
They refused to “turn from their wicked ways.”
They were too proud to do that.
They were too powerful to that.
And as a result, they would not be going.
And we also know that they were pretty enraged with Jesus at this point.
In fact one of the running themes for them at this point is found in the end of . . .
Which to be honest, is kind of insane.
They knew Jesus was talking directly about them.
And they also knew that all they needed to do was repent, but still after all of this they continued to refuse.
Honestly, it doesn’t make very much sense.
Except for one thing.
They were overcome by the world and the ways of the world.
They were blinded by Satan and their own pride.
They couldn’t see the truth about Jesus.
Which is why instead of repenting, they decided they were going to try and find a way to trap and arrest Jesus.
Which is actually something that plays out a couple of times right before the Scripture we are going to look at this morning.
First, we know from Sunday night all of the teaching about the Marriage Banquet.
Then, in a passage that we will not cover in depth they begin to lay out this plot to trick Jesus.
The first plot, had to do with trapping Him, trying to show that he was undermining the government.
In Chapter 22, verse 15 Matthew writes that . . .
Matthew 22:15
So, in essence they were trying to get him for tax evasion.
Now, today that will get you locked up.
In Jesus’ day, it was viewed much like treason and would get you killed.
And the reason they are brining this up is because Jesus had been telling them that He is a King (because that is who the Messiah is to them) and His Kingdom is not of this world.
And logic says that Kings don’t pay taxes to other kingdoms.
So, either Jesus will admit he had been lying or he will admit treason.
However, remember they are dealing with Jesus . . .
Amazed alright, because they didn’t have enough sense to think of that.
Matthew 22:18-
But, they didn’t give up.
The Pharisees had failed, now the Sadducees were going to take a crack at it.
Matthew 22:23
Pretty tricky question.
And factually they were right about the Jewish Law.
If a man dies the wife marries the brother and so on and so on.
But the thing this wasn’t God’s command, this was their interpretation and modification of God’s Law.
Also, they were mixing the Kingdom of the world and its ways with the Kingdom of God.
Things are vastly different in heaven than they are here.
So, Jesus again knowing what they are pulling responds . . . .
Matthew 22:29-
So first Jesus clears up this whole marriage business.
Then though, he corrects the Sadducees mixed up beliefs about resurrection.
They didn’t believe in the resurrection, so to them when you are dead you are dead.
However Jesus reminds them that God is the God of the living and not the dead.
And that is because the dead have no hope.
But the living have hope and that hope is in Jesus Christ.
But....again, they didn’t give up.
Which brings us to our Scripture for this morning.
So, if you have found in your Bibles, I’d invite you to stand with me as we read.
Starting in verse 34, Matthew writes . . .
Scripture Focus
Matthew 22:34-40
It is a Commandment (vs 34-36)
It is a Commandment (vs 34-36)
So, we see right off that they are actually getting a little smarter in their attempts to trap Jesus.
Even though the Pharisees and Sadducees didn’t get along the greatest, they decided they had a greater enemy.
And that greater enemy was Jesus, the Son of God.
So, they decide to do what humans do when they have a common enemy . . .
And a real quick point about this getting together to come against Jesus, or in effect against God.
This is not something that is at all odd.
We see this play out every single day.
There are groups here and groups there, that figure out on their own they have no real “voice,” but when they unite, they become loud.
And when they get loud, they tend to protest.
And even though they are generally a minority of people, they are a loud and vocal minority.
And the general public will often come to the conclusion that just because they are loud and passionate about what they believed, then it must be right.
Well, the truth is, just because we are loud and passionate about things doesn’t mean we are always right.
For instance, I love bacon.
I think bacon is good on everything.
So good, I think we should have bacon at every meal!
And I am passionate about it and loud about it.
Does that stop me from having a heart attack or stroke from eating too much bacon?
Nope, it doesn’t change a thing.
Facts are fact and truth is truth, regardless of our opinions about it.
God has set His Word and determined His will.
God has said what is right and wrong, and those things really are not up for debate.
It is what it is and regardless of our opinions we cannot change facts.
We can only lead innocent people astray who follow us down our path of destruction.
And unfortunately that is what is going to happen to the people who follow this Pharisees and Sadducees who got together, to plot against Jesus.
And here is what they came up with, a quiz for Jesus . . .
Aha!
They have Jesus now!
No one can answer this question correctly because it would mean putting one of God’s commands above another.
It would mean that God said some of the commands were more important than others.
And this expert in the law is talking about the 10 Commandments.
Those basic tenants of Jewish Faith.
Those things we all hold dear as a direct communication from God as to how we are to live.
And to say one of them is more important than another is blasphemy!
And the reason why, is that each of these things are commandments.
And Commandments are very special, they are different.
Commandments are things that God tells us we have to do if we want to be found pleasing to Him.
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