The Example Of The King | Matthew 20

This Book Is Filled With References To The Old Testament.

This Book Demonstrates To Israel That Jesus Is The Promised One.

Matthew Records: MOST Extensive Accounts Of Jesus' Teaching.

Matthew Is Focused On The People And Community Of Jesus.

CONTEXT:

IDENTITY OF THE KING: Chapter 16-17

COMMUNITY OF THE KING: Chapter 18

PERSPECTIVE OF THE KING: Chapter 19

EXAMPLE OF THE KING: Chapter 20

THE IDENTITY OF JESUS: MATTHEW 16 AND 17.

Peter Confessed Jesus Was Christ.

The Transfiguration Demonstrated The Glory Of Jesus.

It Reveals His Role As Prophet, King, And Suffering Servant.

THE COMMUNITY OF JESUS. MATTHEW 18:

Issues Dealt With In This Chapter Within The Church:

The Kingdom Principle: The Least Is Greatest:

Greatness Within The Church Community.

Protection Within The Church Community.

Discipline Within The Church Community.

Forgiveness Within The Church Community.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE KING: MATTHEW 19:

How Does Jesus Look At Divorce.

How Does Jesus Look At Children.

How Does Jesus Look At Superficial Faith.

MAIN IDEA OF TEXT

STATUS IN THE KINGDOM IS NOT ABOUT POSITION AND AUTHORITY.

IT IS ABOUT LIVING AS A SERVANT WITH JESUS AS OUR EXAMPLE.

THE EXAMPLE OF THE KING: MATTHEW 20:

JESUS TEACHES OF GRACE, GREATNESS, AND SERVICE.

POSSIBLE OUTLINE:

A. KINGDOM BLESSINGS ARE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.

THE MASTER SEEKS HIS WORKERS.

WORK AND WAGES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

EX: WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD (20:1–16)

1. A Landowner’s Workers Early In The Morning.

2. All Day Long The Landowner Continues To Hire Workers.

3. The Landowner Pays His Workers.

4. The Complaint From The Early Workers.

5. The Parable Applied: THE PRINCIPLE OF GOD’S REWARD.

B. JESUS TEACHES ABOUT STATUS IN THE KINGDOM.

TOWARDS THE CROSS (MATT. 20:17-19)

DEATH FORETOLD.

JESUS REPEATS THE WAY HE WAS TO DIE.

THE FALSE AND THE TRUE AMBITION.

THE MIND OF JESUS.

THE CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION.

THE LORDSHIP OF THE CROSS.

A MOTHER’S REQUEST (20:20–28)

1. Jesus Again Reveals The Fate Waiting Him At Jerusalem.

2. The Mother Of James And John Asks For A Place Of Special Status For Her Sons.

3. Jesus Answers James And John: When You Ask For A Place Of Special Status, Do You Know What You Ask For?

4. The Disciples’ Reaction; JESUS EXPLAINS TRUE GREATNESS.

C. BLIND MEN AND JESUS (20:29–34)

LOVE'S ANSWER TO AN APPEAL FOR MERCY.

1. Two Blind Men Gain The Attention Of Jesus.

2. Jesus Heals The Two Blind Men.

A. KINGDOM BLESSINGS ARE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.

THE MASTER SEEKS HIS WORKERS.

WORK AND WAGES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD (20:1–16)

1. (1-2) A Landowner’s Workers Early In The Morning.

2. (3-7) All Day Long The Landowner Continues To Hire Workers.

3. (8-10) The Landowner Pays His Workers.

4. (11-15) The Complaint From The Early Workers.

5. (16) The Parable Applied: THE PRINCIPLE OF GOD’S REWARD.

For The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like A Landowner:

Like Many Of Jesus’ Parables, This Story Is About An Employer And Those Who Work For Him.

Jesus Will Use This Story To Answer A Question From Matthew 19:27: What Reward Is There For The Disciples Who Gave Up All.

· First: A Promise Of Reward.

(Matthew 19:28).

· Second: A Warning Of The Manner Of Giving Reward.

Many Who Are The First Will Be Last, And The Last First.

Matthew 19:30).

The Master Of A Household In Need Of Workers For His HARVEST.

He Establishes An Agreed-Upon Price (One Denarius A Day).

He Still Needs More Workers.

He Establishes An Agreed-Upon Price (For WHATEVER IS RIGHT).

The Work Is Finished And Time To Pay The Workers.

The Various Groups Hired Receive THEIR Agreed-Upon Price.

The FIRST GROUP WHO WORKED ALL DAY.

The FIRST GROUP RECEIVES THE SAME PAY AS OTHER ONES.

THE GROUP WHO WORKED A PARTIAL DAY RECEIVES SAME.

NOTE: EACH GROUP RECEIVES THE AGREED-UPON AMOUNT.

THE FIRST GROUP GRUMBLES:

THEY EXPECT TO BE PAID MORE FOR WORKING LONGER.

THE MASTER DECLARES:

HE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE GENEROUS AS HE CHOOSES.

GOD BEING MORE GENEROUS TO OTHERS

DOES NOT MEAN

WE ARE CHEATED OR TREATED UNFAIRLY BY GOD.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM ARE THE SAME:

FOR ALL WHO ENTER,

WHETHER JEWS WHO HAD WORSHIPPED GOD FOR CENTURIES.

OR GENTILES WHO HAD JUST BEEN SAVED FROM PAGANISM.

WHETHER SCRIBES WHO STUDIED GOD’S LAW FOR MANY YEARS.

OR TAX COLLECTORS WHO HAD JUST REPENTED.

WHETHER THOSE WHO HAD SERVED GOD FOR A LIFETIME.

OR THOSE CONVERTED IN OLD AGE.

FACT: THE MOST UNLIKELY PEOPLE ENTERED THE KINGDOM.

TRAGEDY: MANY WILL NOT RECEIVE ETERNAL BLESSINGS.

WORK AND WAGES IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

MATT. 20:1-16

The Infinite Compassion Of God.

There Is An Element Of Human Tenderness In This Parable.

These workers were underemployed.

They appeared to be day workers which is unstable and low paying.

The MASTER had compassion to these workers.

The Master Gave Them More Than Was Their Due.

The Generosity Of God.

These Men Did Not All Do The Same Work;

But They Did Receive The Same Pay.

There Are Two Great Lessons Here.

1. All Service Ranks The Same With God.

It Is Not The Amount Of Service Given.

It Is The Love In Which It Is Given Which Matters.

God Does Not Look On The Amount Of Our Service.

If It Is All We Have To Give All Service Ranks The Same With God.

2. All God Gives Is Of Grace.

We Cannot Earn What God Gives Us; We Cannot Deserve It.

What God Gives Us Is Given Out Of The Goodness Of His Heart. What God Gives Is Not Pay, But A Gift; Not A Reward, But A Grace.

B. JESUS TEACHES ABOUT STATUS IN THE KINGDOM.

TOWARDS THE CROSS (MATT. 20:17-19)

DEATH FORETOLD.

JESUS REPEATS THE WAY HE WAS TO DIE.

THE FALSE AND THE TRUE AMBITION.

THE MIND OF JESUS.

THE CHRISTIAN REVOLUTION.

THE LORDSHIP OF THE CROSS.

A MOTHER’S REQUEST (20:20–28)

1. (17-19) Jesus Again Reveals The Fate Waiting Him At Jerusalem.

2. (20-21) The Mother Of James And John Asks For A Place Of Special Status For Her Sons.

3. (22-23) Jesus Answers James And John: When You Ask For A Place Of Special Status, Do You Know What You Ask For?

4. (24-28) The Disciples’ Reaction; JESUS SETS FORTH TRUE GREATNESS.

Jesus Clearly Tells The Disciples For The Third Time.

He Will Reach Jerusalem With Them.

He Will Be Condemned To Death By The Jewish Religious Leaders.

He Will Be Handed Over The Gentiles To Be Mocked, Flogged, And Crucified.

He Will Be Raised On The Third Day.

(Matthew 20:17–19).

TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.

Means Literally A Price Paid For The Redemption Of Captives.

The Way By Which They Are Set At Liberty.

So Anything That Releases Anyone From A State Of Punishment,

Or Suffering, Or Sin, Is Called A Ransom.

People Are By Nature Captives To Sin.

They Are Sold Under It.

They Are Under Condemnation.

They Are Under A Curse.

They Are In Love With Sin

They Are Under Its Withering Dominion,

They Are Exposed To Death Eternal.

They Must Perish Unless They Can Be Rescured.

This Was Done By The Death Of Jesus

By Giving His Life A Ransom.

Meaning He Died In The Place Of Sinners.

God Was Willing To Accept The Pains Of His Death.

God Was Willing To Remove Eternal Suffering Of The Redeemed.

The Reasons Why Such A Ransom Was Necessary:

1. God Had Declared That The Sinner Shall Die;

That Is, That He Would Punish, Or Show His Hatred To, All Sin.

2. All People Have Sinned.

If Justice Was To Take Its Regular Course, All Must Perish.

3. Man Could Make No Atonement For His Own Sins.

All That He Could Do, Were He Holy, Would Be Only To Do His Duty, And Would Make No Amends For The Past. Repentance And Future Obedience Would Not Blot Away One Sin.

No Man Was Pure And No Angel Could Make Atonement.

God Was Satisfied To Appoint His Only-Begotten Son To Provide.

God Was Pleased To Make Such A Ransom.

A MOTHER’S REQUEST (20:20–28)

Jesus Is Approached By The Mother Of James And John.

Some Scholars Think This Woman Is Salome, Mary's Sister.

This Would Make Her The Aunt Of Jesus.

She Asks That Her Sons Be Chosen To Sit By Jesus.

Meaning At The Left And Right Hands In His Kingdom.

Means They Will Have The Highest Positions Under Jesus.

Jesus Turns: To James And John.

Jesus Says:

You Don't Know What You Are Asking.

Jesus Asks:

If You Can Drink This Cup.

Meaning The Suffering That He Will Experience.

Jesus Agrees:

They Will Drink His Cup.

Meaning To Endure Their Own Trials And Persecution.

Jesus Answers:

The Father Grants Such Positions In The Kingdom.

(Matthew 20:20–23).

The Other Disciples Are Furious.

They Recognize James And John Are Trying To Grab Power.

JESUS EXPLAINS GREATNESS IN HIS KINGDOM:

IS NOT ABOUT RULING OVER OTHERS AS THE GENTILES DO.

IT IS ABOUT SERVING THE OTHERS.

Whoever Would Be First Must Be A Slave To The Others.

Jesus Has Come To Serve And Not To Be Served.

HOW DID JESUS DEMONSTRATE THIS KINGDOM PRINCIPLE ?

THIS IS A LESSON DEMONSTRATED IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY:

HE WASHES THE DISCIPLE'S FEET DURING THE LAST SUPPER.

(Matthew 20:24–28).

Towards The Cross

Matt. 20:17-19

This Is The Third Time That Jesus Warned His Disciples That He Was On The Way To The Cross (Matt. 16:21; Matt. 17:22-23).

Jesus Was Headed For Jerusalem And THE CROSS.

He Was To Be Betrayed Into The Hands Of The Religious Leaders.

We See The Suffering Of The Disloyalty Of Friends.

He Was To Be Condemned To Death.

We See The Suffering Of Injustice, Which Is Very Hard To Bear.

He Was To Be Mocked By The Romans.

There We See The Suffering Of Humiliation And Of Deliberate Insult.

He Was To Be Scourged.

We See The Suffering Of Physical Pain.

He Was To Be Crucified.

We See The Ultimate Suffering Of Death.

It Is As If Jesus Was Going To Gather In Upon Himself Every Possible Kind Of Physical And Emotional And Mental Suffering That The World Could Inflict.

He Finished With The Confident Assertion Of The Resurrection.

Beyond The Suffering Is The Revelation Of Glory.

Beyond The Cross Was The Crown

Beyond The Defeat Was Triumph

Beyond Death Was Life.

The False And The True Ambition

Matt. 20:20-28

This Is One Of The Most Revealing Passages In The New Testament.

First, It Sheds A Light On The Disciples.

It Tells Us Of Their Ambition.

They Were Still Thinking In Terms Of Personal Reward.

They Were Still Thinking Of Personal Success..

They Wanted Jesus To Be A King So They Could Be Royalty.

Every Man Has To Learn True Greatness Lies But In Service.

Jesus Continued Announcing His CUP OF SUFFERING.

That Ahead Of Him Lay An Inescapable Cross;

Jesus Demonstrated The Unshakable Loyalty Of The Disciples.

The Disciples Were Told Of The Bitter Cup.

The Disciples Did Not Chose To Turn Back.

They Were Determined To Drink It.

To Conquer With Christ Meant To Suffer With Christ

It Is Easy To Condemn The Disciples.

But The Faith And The Loyalty Behind The Ambition Is Significant.

Second, This Passage Sheds A Light On The Disciples.

It Tells Us Of Future Christian Life.

For Some Of The Disciples It Meant Short Sharp Bitter Death.

For Others It Meant Long Routing Christian Life With Tears.

The CUP OF SUFFERING Requires Obedience No Matter The Price.

Third, This Passage Sheds A Light On Jesus.

It Shows Us His Kindness.

Jesus Was Never Impatient Or Irritated With The Disciples.

In Gentleness, In Sympathy, In Love: Kind And Gentle.

The Lordship Of The Cross

What Jesus Calls Upon His Followers To Do He Himself Did.

He Came Not To Be Served, But To Serve.

He Came To Occupy Not A Throne, But A Cross.

Jews Looked For A Conqueror;

They Received One Broken On A Cross.

They Looked For The Raging Lion Of Judah;

They Received The Gentle Lamb Of God.

JESUS SUMMED UP HIS WHOLE LIFE IN ONE SENTENCE:

THE SON OF MAN CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.

What Does It Mean?

Mankind Is In The Grip Of A Power Of Evil.

Mankind Can Not Break This Stronghold Without God In Christ.

A Ransom Is Something Paid Or Given To Liberate A Man.

A Ransom Is To Liberate From The Power Of Evil.

A Ransom For This Liberty Is The Life And Death Of Jesus.

Jesus Gave Everything To Bring Men Back To God.

C. BLIND MEN AND JESUS (20:29–34)

LOVE'S ANSWER TO AN APPEAL FOR MERCY.

1. (29-31) Two Blind Men Gain The Attention Of Jesus.

2. (32-34) Jesus Heals The Two Blind Men.

Two Blind Roadside Beggars.

They Call Out To Jesus On The Way To Jerusalem.

They Call Unto Him To Have Mercy On Them.

They Call Him The Son Of David, The Name For The Messiah.

Jesus Heals Their Blindness.

He Focuses On Only One Of The Men: BARTIMAEUS.

This Is The Last Time Jesus Will Pass By This Location.

This Was Their Last Chance To Meet Christ.

MEANING:

THE LAST CHANCE TO RECEIVE THE GOSPEL IS UNKNOWN.

URGENCY TO RESPOND IS THE MESSAGE.

(Matthew 20:29–34).

Love's Answer When A Desperate Need Is Seen.

Matt. 20:29-34

These Two Blind Men Were Waiting For Their Chance.

Jesus Was Passing By.

If They Had Let Him Pass, Their Chance Would Be Gone Forever.

(1) These Two Blind Men Were Undiscourageable.

The Crowd Commanded Them To Stop Their Shouting;

They Were Making A Nuisance Of Themselves.

It Was The Custom In Palestine For A Rabbi To Teach As He Walked Along The Road;

And No Doubt Those Around Jesus Could Not Hear What Jesus Was Saying For This Clamorous Uproar.

But Nothing Would Stop The Two Blind Men; For Them It Was A Matter Of Sight Or Blindness, And Nothing Was Going To Keep Them Back.

(2) These Two Blind Men Had An Imperfect Faith But They Were Determined To Act On The Faith They Had.

It Was As Son Of David That They Addressed Jesus.

That Meant That They Did Believe Him To Be The Messiah,

However Imperfect It May Be, If Faith Is There, Jesus Accepts It.

(3) These Two Blind Men Were Not Afraid To Bring A Great Request.

They Were Beggars; But It Was Not Money They Asked For, It Was Nothing Less Than Sight.

No Request Is Too Great To Bring To Jesus.

(4) These Two Blind Men Were Grateful.

When They Had Received The Miracle.

They Did Not Go Away And Forget; They Followed Jesus.