Matthew 5-7 | The Message Of The King ONE

Last Week:

We Saw That Jesus Called Disciples To Follow Him.

We Saw Victory Over All Of Satan’s Schemes.

We Saw The Kingdom Thru WORKS and WORDS Of Jesus.

Key Takeaway: Jesus’s Teaching About The Kingdom Turns Apostate Judaism Theology Upside-Down.

SIMPLE OUTLINE: THE KING'S AUTHORITY:

1. BEATITUDES AND THE WITNESS OF THE KINGDOM 5:01-16.

Righteousness And Attitude 5:01-12.

Beatitudes.

Righteousness And Discipleship 5:13-16.

Salt and Light.

2. THE KINGDOM AND THE LAW 5:17-48.

Righteousness And The Scriptures 5:17-20.

Fulfill the Law.

Righteousness And Morality 5:21-48.

Anger 5:21-26.

Lust 5:27-30.

Divorce 5:31-32.

Oaths 5:33-37.

Retaliation 5:38-42.

Love Your Enemies 5:43-48.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT:

The Supreme Blessedness (Matt. 5:3-12).

The Sanctification Which Belongs To The Christian.

It Is Not A Blessedness Which Is Postponed Till Glory.

It Is Sanctification Which Exists Here And Now.

It Is Not Something Into Which The Christian Will Enter;

It Is Something Into Which The Christian HAS Entered.

BEATTITUDES: THE ATTITUDES THAT OUGHT TO BE !!

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE ATTITUDE OF:

BEING DESTITUTE:

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit.

For Theirs Is The Kingdom Of Heaven.

Blessed Is The Person:

Who Is Absolutely Destitute In Spirit.

Who Has Realized Their Own Total Helplessness.

Who Has Put Their Whole Trust In God.

He Will Become Completely Detached From Things.

He Will Know That Material Things Do Not Bring Security.

He Will Become Completely Attached To God.

He Will Know God Alone Brings Help, Hope, Strength.

BEING BROKEN HEARTED:

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn.

For They Shall Be Comforted.

It Means: To Mourn The Dead.

For The Passionate Lament For One Who Was Loved.

It Brings An Ache To The Heart / Unrestrained Tears.

It Can Show Us The Essential Kindness Of Our Fellow-Men.

It Can Show Us That Nothing Else Can Comfort Us Like God.

A Person Who Is Broken From His Own Sin.

A Person In His Sorrow Will Find The Joy Of God!

BEING GOD-CONTROLLED:

Blessed Are The Meek.

For They Shall Inherit The Earth.

Blessed Is The Man Who Is Entirely Self-Controlled.

Complete Control Of God Will Gain This Meekness.

Which Will Indeed Enable Him To Inherit The Earth.

Who Is Always Angry At The Right Time.

And Never Angry At The Wrong Time.

The Happy Medium Between Too Much And Too Little Anger.

Who Is Trained To Obey The Word Of Command.

Which Has Learned To Answer To The Reins.

Like A Horse Responds To Its Rider.

BEING A STARVING SPIRIT:

Blessed Are Those

Who Hunger And Thirst

For Righteousness.

For They Shall Be Satisfied.

Blessing Comes To The Man:

Who In Spite Of Failures Still Clutches To Him.

Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Complete Righteousness.

It Is The Hunger Of The Man Who Is Starving For Food.

It Is The Thirst Of The Man Who Will Die Unless He Drinks.

It Is Not Enough To Be Satisfied With A Partial Goodness.

BEING PERFECTLY SYMPATHETIC:

Blessed Are The Merciful.

For They Shall Obtain Mercy.

Insistent That To Be Forgiven We Must Be Forgiving.

Judgment Is Without Mercy If No Mercy Is Shown.

The Lord's Prayer Includes These Two Verses:

Forgive Us Our Debts As We Have Forgiven Our Debtors.

If You Forgive Men Their Trespasses, God Will Forgive You.

But If You Do Not Forgive Men Their Trespasses, God Will Not Forgive Your Trespasses.

Consistently Taught: Only The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy.

BEING CLEAN OF HEART:

Blessed Are The Pure In Heart.

For They Shall See God.

The Bible Demands That As You Read It To Examine Self.

Means: To Clean Like Cleaning Clothes.

Means: Pure Metal With No Alloy.

Blessed Is The Man Whose Motives Are Pure.

For That Man Shall See God.

Examine Your Motives For Ministry:

Is Our Work Done From Motives Of Service ?

Is Our Work Done From Motives Of Temporal Rewards ?

Jesus Said That Only The Pure In Heart Will See God.

BEING BUSY BRINGING MEN TOGETHER:

Blessed Are The Peace-Makers.

For They Shall Be Called Sons Of God.

Blessing On The Peace-Makers Not Just Peace-Lovers.

Peace, Shalom: Absence Of Trouble, Absence Of Evil.

Biblical Peace Means:

Freedom From All Trouble.

Enjoyment Of All Good.

Peace From Facing, Dealing, Conquering ISSUES In Life.

You Be Called The Sons Of Peace And A Peaceful Person.

NOTE: Sons Of God: A Typical Hebrew Way Of Expression.

Hebrew Is Not Rich In Adjectives.

Hebrew Uses PHRASES to Describe More Than Adjectives.

One May Be Called A Son Of Peace OR A Peaceful Person.

Those Who Produce Right Relationships Between Two Persons Are Doing A Godlike Work !

BEING A SUFFERER FOR CHRIST:

Blessed Are Those.

Who Are Persecuted.

For Righteousness Sake.

For Theirs Is The Kingdom Of Heaven.

Blessed Are You When Others Revile And Persecute You.

Blessed Are You When Others Utter Evil Against You.

Rejoice And Be Glad For Your Reward Is Great In Heaven.

For So Men Persecuted The Prophets Who Were Before You.

A Christ Follower:

Come To Him For Eternal Life NOT An Easy Life.

You Might Be Negatively Impacted At Work.

You Might Be Negatively Impacted In Social Life.

You Might Be Negatively Impacted At Home.

You Might Be Put In Prison For His Sake.

You Might Be Tortured For His Sake.

You Might Be Killed For His Sake.

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND DISCIPLESHIP:

THE SALT OF THE EARTH:

You Are The Salt Of The Earth.

But If Salt Has Lost Its Taste.

How Shall The Taste Be Restored.

It Is No Longer Good For Anything.

Except To Be Thrown Out.

Trodden Under Foot By Men.

An Expression, A Greatest Compliment, To Be Paid To One.

An Expression Of Solid Worth And Usefulness.

Expression: People Like That Are The Salt Of The Earth.

Salt Connected With Purity, Preservative, Flavor, High Value.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD:

You Are The Light Of The World.

A City Set On A Hill Cannot Be Hid.

Nor Does One Light A Lamp And Put It Under A Bushel.

But On A Stand And It Gives Light To All In The House.

Jesus Commanded His Followers:

To Be The Light Of The World.

To Be Like Jesus Who Was The Light Of The World.

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE SCRIPTURE:
THE ETERNAL LAW:

Jesus He Did Not Come.

To Destroy The Law Or The Prophets.

BUT To Fulfill Them.

To Enter Into The Kingdom Of Heaven, Unless Your Righteousness Goes Beyond That Of The Scribes And Pharisees.

Jesus Lays Down The Eternal Character Of The Law.

Jesus Broke What The Jews Called The Law.

The Jewish Leaders Meant THE LAW To Mean The Written Inspired Word Of God PLUS Rabbic Tradition And Oral Scribal Law.

What Was This Scribal Law?

When The Scribes Tried To Uphold The Ten Commandments They Added Laws To It To Keep From Failing It.

THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW:

What Then Did Jesus Mean By The Law?

He Said That He Had Not Come To Destroy The Law, But To Fulfil The Law.

That Is To Say, He Came Really To Bring Out The Real Meaning Of The Law.

What was the real meaning of the Law?

Even Behind The Scribal And Oral Law There Was One Great Principle Which The Scribes And The Pharisees Had Imperfectly Grasped. The One Great Principle Was That In All Things A Man Must Seek God's Will.

He Must Dedicate His Whole Life To The Obeying Of It.

The Scribes And Pharisees Were Right In Seeking God's Will,

Profoundly Right In Dedicating Their Lives To Obeying It;

They Were Wrong In Finding That Will In Their Man-Made Hordes Of Rules And Regulations.

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MORALITY:
THE FORBIDDEN ANGER:

You Have Heard That It Was Said.

By The People Of The Old Days.

You Shall Not Kill.

Whoever Kills Is Liable To The Judgment Court.

But I Say Unto You.

That Everyone Who Is Angry With His Brother.

Is Liable To The Judgment Court.

You Shall Not Kill BUT Even Anger Against A Brother Is Sin.

THE FORBIDDEN DESIRE:

You Have Heard That It Was Said.

By The People Of The Old Days.

You Must Not Commit Adultery.

But I Say Unto You.

That Every One Who Looks At A Woman In Such A Way.

As To Waken Within Himself Forbidden Desires For Her.

Has Already Committed Adultery.

With Her Within His Heart.

The Moral Law: You Shall Not Commit Adultery.

The Guilty Parties Could Be Punished By Death.

You Shall Not Commit The Act BUT Even The Thought Is Sin.

THE MARRIAGE BOND WHICH MUST NOT BE BROKEN:

You Have Heard That It Was Said.

By The People Of The Old Days.

Let Every Man Who Divorces His Wife.

Give Her A Bill Of Divorcement.

But I Say Unto You.

That Every One Who Divorces His Wife.

For Any Other Cause Than Fornication.

Causes Her To Commit Adultery.

And Anyone Who Marries A Woman.

Who Has Been So Divorced.

Himself Commits Adultery.

When Jesus Taught This Law For Marriage He Laid It Down Against A Very Specific Situation.

He Was Seeking To Deal With A Situation In Which The Structure Of Family Life Was Collapsing.

A WORD IS A PLEDGE:

You Have Heard That It Was Said.

By The People Of The Old Days.

You Shall Not Take An Oath Falsely.

But You Shall Pay Your Oath In Full To The Lord.

But I Say To You.

Do Not Swear At All Neither By Heaven.

When You Say, Yes, Let It Be Yes.

When You Say, No, Let It Be No.

Anything Which Goes Beyond That Has Its Source In Evil.

THE END OF RESENTMENT AND OF RETALIATION:

Jesus Abolishes The Old Law Of Limited Vengeance.

He Teaches No-Resentment And No-Retaliation.

This Is About Rights.

The Christian Never Stands Upon His Rights;

He Never Disputes About His Legal Rights;

He Does Not Consider Himself To Have Any Legal Rights.

GRACIOUS GIVING:

We Should Give To All Who Ask To Meet A Valid Need.

Matthew | The Introduction To The King

Matthew 4.

Last Week: Matthew 3: The Preparation For The King: John The Baptist.

John Prepared The Way: Demanded Repentance And Baptism.

Some Did Not Understand Why Jesus Was Baptized By John.

In The Baptism Of Jesus; We Saw The Revelation Of Jesus As The Anointed, Beloved Son Of God.

Now, Matthew 4, We See:

The Temptations Of Christ.

The Sacred Story And The Attack Of The Tempter.

The Son Of God Goes Forth.

Christ Calls The Fishermen.

The Methods And Activities of the Master.

Matthew 4 Simple Outline:

I. Temptation in the Wilderness (4:1-11).

II. The Beginning of Ministry (4:12-25).

a. Galilee as Fulfillment (4:12-16).

b. Ministry of Preaching and Calling (4:17-25).

THE TEMPTATIONS OF CHRIST.

Matt. 4:1-11.

Then Jesus Was Led By The Spirit Into The Wilderness To Be Tempted By The Devil.

The Meaning Of The Word To Tempt.

In English TEMPT Has A Uniformly Consistent Bad Meaning.

It Always Means To Entice A Man To Do Wrong,

To Seek To Seduce Him Into Sin,

To Try To Persuade Him To Take The Wrong Way.

But In Greek: It Means TO TEST.

EX: GOD TESTED ABRAHAM WITH THE SUPREME TEST.

What We Call Temptation:

It Is Not Meant To Make Us Sin;

It Is Meant To Enable Us To Conquer Sin.

It Is Not Meant To Make Us Bad,

It Is Meant To Make Us Good.

It Is Not Meant To Weaken Us,

It Is Meant To Make Us Emerge Stronger From The Ordeal.

Note:

It Took Place In The Wilderness.

Jesus Went Into The Wilderness To Be Alone.

His Task Had Come To Him;

God Had Spoken To Him;

Jesus Was Preparing His Enter Into Ministry.

THE SACRED STORY.

(i) The Temptations Immediately Followed The Baptism Of Jesus.

Be On Our Guard After Life Has Brought Us To The Heights,

For It Is Just Then That We Are In Gravest Danger Of The Depths.

(ii) This Experience Of Jesus Was Mostly An Inward Experience.

The Proof Is That There Is No Possible Mountain From Which All The Kingdoms Of The Earth Could Be Seen.

THE STRUGGLE WAS IN HIS MIND, WILL, EMOTION, SPIRIT.

The Tempter Comes To Our Inmost Thoughts And Desires.

The Strategy Of Satan Lies In The Fact That He Breaches Our Defenses And Attacks Us From Within.

(iii) The Temper Came At Jesus More Than Just One Time.

One Campaign In The Desert With Satan Was Not The Only Time.

Remember: Jesus Said: Get Behind Me Satan.

The Tempter Spoke Again To Jesus Thru Peter.

Peter Tried To Talk Jesus Out Of The Way Of The Cross.

Jesus Fights The Battle From The Beginning To The End.

That Is Why He Can Help Us To Fight Ours.

(iv) The Source For This Story Must Have Been Jesus Himself.

He Was Alone In The Wilderness.

We Know About It Because Jesus Himself Must Have Told His Apostles About It.

Jesus Is Telling Us His Own Spiritual Autobiography.

He Is Telling Men What He Went Through.

He Can Help Others Who Are Tempted Because He Understands.

He Pulls The Veil From His Own Struggles To Help Us In Ours.

THE ATTACK OF THE TEMPTER.

THREE LINES OF ATTACK FROM THE TEMPTER.

THE TEMPTER TESTED JESUS TO BELIEVE LIES FOR SUCCESS.

THE TEMPTER USES THESE SAME DESIRES AGAINST US.

1. To Use Materialism And Bribes To Have Everything.

2. To Use The Lust Of Satisfying Physical Desires.

3. To Use Compromise To Get Mankind To Follow Him.

So Jesus Made His Decision.

That He Would Never Bribe Men Into Following Him.

That The Way Of Sensation Was Not Getting To The Sin Issue.

That The Way Of Compromise Changed His Salvation Message.

That Choice Inevitably Meant The Cross.

But The Cross Just As Inevitably Meant The Final Victory.

THE SON OF GOD GOES FORTH.

Matt. 4:12-17

Jesus Heard That John Had Been Thrown In Jail.

Jesus Withdrew Into Galilee And Moved To Capernacum.

This Was Done To Fulfilled What Was Written In Isaiah: By The Way Of The Sea, Beyond Jordan, Galilee Of The Gentiles, The People Who Sat In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light, And A Light Has Risen For Those Who Sat In The Land …..

From That Time On Jesus Began To Proclaim His Message.

Repent For The Kingdom Of The Heavens Has Come Near!

The Time Had Come For Jesus To Go Forth To His Task.

He Officially Began His Earthly Ministry.

THE HERALD OF GOD.

Matthew Gives A One-Sentence Summary Of

Jesus Began To Preach. (To Herald):

He Had In His Voice A Note Of Certainty. Clear And Plain.

He Had In His Voice The Note Of Authority. With Power.

He Had A Message From A Source Beyond Himself.

The Message Of Jesus Consisted Of A Command:

Repent!

Turn From Your Own Ways, And Turn To God.

Lift Your Eyes From Earth And Look To Heaven.

Reverse Your Direction.

Stop Walking Away From God.

Begin Walking Towards God.

The Reign Of God Was About To Begin.

Eternity Had Invaded Time.

God Had Invaded Earth In IMMANUEL.

Choose The Right Side And The Right Direction.

CHRIST CALLS THE FISHERMEN.

MATT. 4:18-22

Jesus Was Walking Beside The Sea Of Galilee.

He Saw Two Brothers: Simon Peter And Andrew.

They Were Fishing And Jesus Said Follow Me And They Did.

I Will Make You Fishers Of Men.

They Immediately Left Their Nets And Followed Him.

He Went On And Saw Two Other Brothers: James And John.

They Were Fishing And Jesus Said Follow Me And They Did.

FOLLOW ME AND LEARN WAS THE CALL.

NOTE: What Kind Of Men Were These Men ?

Not Men Of Great Scholarship, Influence, Wealth.

Were Not Poor But Simple Working People With No Great Future.

But A Fisherman Possesses Qualities:

Of Skill: To Succeed And Capture Fish.

Of Patience: To Wait Until Timing Was Right.

Of Perseverance: To Never Be Discouraged.

Of Courage: To Sail A Small Boat On A Large Lake.

Of Knowledge: When To Fish And When To Move On.

THE METHODS OF THE MASTER.

Matt. 4:23-25

Jesus Stayed Mostly In Israel To Focus On The Jewish People.

Teaching In The Synagogues,

Proclaiming The Good News Of The Kingdom,

Healing All Kinds Of Diseases And Ailments Among The People:

And The Report Of His Activities Went Out All Over Syria.

Great Crowds Followed Him From Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, etc.

Jesus Chose To Launch His Campaign In The Synagogues.

The Synagogue: A Most Important Institution To The Jews.

A Difference Between The Synagogues And The Temple.

There Was Only One Temple, The Temple In Jerusalem,

The Temple Existed Solely For The Offering Of Sacrifice;

No Preaching Or Teaching In The Temple Except Courtyards.

Even The Smallest Colony Of Jews You Find A Synagogue.

The Synagogue Was Essentially A Teaching Institution.

The Synagogue Service Allowed The New Teacher His Chance.

In The Synagogue Service There Were Three Parts.

The First Part Consisted Of Prayers.

The Second Part Consisted Of Readings From The Law And From The Prophets, Readings In Which Members Of The Congregation Took Part.

The Third Part Was The Address.

There Was No One Person To Give The Address.

There Was No Such Thing As A Professional Ministry.

The President Of The Synagogue Presided Over The Service.

Any Distinguished Stranger Could Be Asked To Teach.

After The Time Of Teaching Came A Time Of Discussion.

THE ACTIVITIES OF JESUS.

Summary The Three Great Activities Of Jesus' Life.

He Came Proclaiming The Gospel.

He Came Teaching In The Synagogues.

He Came Healing All Those Who Had Need Of Healing.

Preaching Was The Method.

Jesus Came To Defeat Men's Ignorance.

He Came To Tell Them The Truth About God.

He Came To Bring The Revelation Of God.

He Came To To Show Men About The Nature Of God.

He Came To Turn That Truth Into Deeds.

NOTE: These Are The Ways A False Teacher Functions:

Signs And Wonders Gospel.

Prosperity Gospel.

Have Your Best Life Now Gospel.

New Apostolic Reformation Gospel.

Co-Exist With All Doctrines Of Salvation Gospel.

Jesus Taught:

We Can Never Defeat Evil By Compromising With Evil.

We Can Never Compromise The True Gospel.

We Can Never Compromise The True Way Of Salvation.

There Is Only One Gospel.

There Is Only One Savior.

There Is Only One Way To Salvation.

Matthew | The Preparation For The King.

MATTHEW CHAPTER 3.

The Years Between:

The Emergence Of John The Baptizer:

The Message Of John The Baptist:

The Threat.

The Promise.

The Demand.

Jesus And His Baptism:

Key Takeaway: The Identity Of Jesus As The Son Of God Is Revealed In His Baptism.

Simple Outline:

I. John The Baptist Emerges (3:1-12).

A. John Preaches (3:1-3).

B. John And The Jewish Leaders (3:4-12).

2. Jesus Is Baptized (3:13-17).

A. Who Needs To Be Baptized (3:13-15).

B. Revelation Through Baptism (3:16-17).

THE YEARS BETWEEN: MATTHEW 3:

In Between The 2 Chapters There Are 30 Silent Years.

What Was Happening In Those Silent Years?

Jesus Came Into The World To Be The Savior Of It.

For Thirty Years He Stayed Mostly In Palestine.

Most Of The Life Of Jesus Were Spent In Nazareth.

He Did Go To Jerusalem To The Passover Celebration.

He Died When He Was Thirty-Three.

Thirty Were Spent Without Record In Nazareth.

What was happening then?

(1) Jesus Was Growing Up To Manhood In A Good Home:

(2) Jesus Was Fulfilling The Duties Of An Eldest Son:

Jesus Sets Example: The Simple Duties Of The Home.

(3) Jesus Was Learning What It Was Like To Work:

Earn Money, Buy Food And Clothes, Conduct Business.

Jesus Wanted To Know And Experience REAL LIFE.

THE EMERGENCE OF JOHN THE BAPTIZER.

MATTHEW 3:1-6.

John The Baptizer Arrived On The Scene.

John Was Preaching In The Wilderness Of Judea.

His Message:

Repent For The Kingdom Of The Heaven Is Near.

Make Ready The Road By Which The Lord Is Coming.

Make Straight The Paths Which He Must Travel.

Many Responded And Went Out To Him.

They Confessed Their Sins.

They Were Baptized In The River Jordan.

The Emergence Of John: The Voice Of God Thru Him.

It Had Been 400 Years Since There Had Been A Prophet.

The Voice Of Prophecy Had Been Silent.

In John The Prophetic Voice Spoke Again.

What Were The Characteristics Of John ?

(i) He Fearlessly Denounced Evil.

John Rebuked:

Herod The King And His Unlawful Marriage.

Orthodox Religion In Their Ritualistic Formalism.

Ordinary People Who Lived Being Unaware Of God.

He Was Like A Light Which Lit Up The Dark Places;

He Was Like Wind Which Swept Throughout The Country.

(ii) He Urgently Summoned Men To Righteousness.

John's Message:

A Negative Message;

A Positive Message Of The Moral Standards Of God.

He Not Only Denounced Men For What They Had Done;

He Summoned Them To What They Ought To Do.

He Not Only Condemned Men For What They Were;

He Challenged Them To Be What They Could Be.

He Was Like A Voice Calling Men To Higher Things.

(iii) John Came From God.

He Came Out Of The Desert.

He Came To Men After Lonely Preparation By God.

(iv) John Pointed Beyond Himself.

A Light To Illumine Evil,

A Voice To Rebuke Sin,

A Signpost To God.

John Was Not Seeking His Own Fame.

He Wished To Prepare Them For The One Coming.

John Was Preparing The Way For The King.

The Preacher, The Teacher, The Prophet: Points At God.

THE MESSAGE: THREAT AND PROMISE.

MATTHEW 3:7-12.

THE THREAT:

John Told The Religious Leaders They Were Snakes.

John Told Them To Produce Fruit To Fit Repentance.

Metaphor: The Axe Is Already Applied To The Root Of The Trees.

Every Non Productive Trees Will Be Cut And Burned.

He Warns Them:

No Use Pleading That Abraham Was Their Father.

No Value To Them Being In Biological Family.

To The Orthodox Jew That Was An Incredible Statement.

Abraham Was Unique.

Abraham Was Good And Found Favor With God.

Abraham Merits Was Sufficient For Himself.

Abraham Merits Was Sufficient For All Descendants.

He Had Built Up A Treasury Of Merit.

He Had Built Enough Merit To Meet All Claims.

The Jews Believed Being A Jew Excused Them.

All Jews Were Covered By The Merits Of Abraham.

They Talked About The Delivering Merits Of The Fathers.

The Jewish Leaders Say:

Abraham Sat At The Gates Of Gehenna.

That A Jew Was Protected From Eternal Suffering.

Which Enabled The Ships To Sail Safely On The Seas;

That The Rain Descended On The Earth;

That It Was The Merits Of Abraham Which Enabled Moses To Enter Into Heaven And To Receive The Law;

That It Was Because Of The Merits Of Abraham That David Was Heard.

Even For The Wicked These Merits Sufficed.

THE FALSE DOCTRINE THAT JOHN IS REBUKING ?

Evil Living Cannot Plead The Merits Of Faithful Fathers.

One Cannot Live On The Spiritual Capital Of The Past.

THE MESSAGE: THE THREAT, NOW THE PROMISE:

After John's Threat There Came The Promise.

John Pointed Beyond Himself To The Promised One.

John Says: He Was Not Fit To Even Carry His Sandals.

An Attitude Of Self-Obliteration, Not Self-Importance.

His Only Importance: :Signpost Pointing To The Messiah.

JOHN WILL BAPTIZE YOU:

WITH WATER THAT YOU MAY REPENT.

JESUS WILL BAPTIZE YOU:

WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH FIRE.

THE PROMISED ONE WOULD BE WITH THE SPIRIT:

All Through Their History The Jews Had Looked For The Time When The Spirit Would Come.

Ezekiel Says:

A New Heart God Will Give Us,

A New Spirit I Will Put Within You,

God Will Put His Spirit Within Us.

God Will Cause Us To Walk In His Statutes.

God Will Cause Us To Be Careful To Observe His Law.

God Will Put His Spirit Within Us And We Shall Live.

God Will Not Hide His Face From Us Any More.

He Will Pour Out His Spirit Upon Israel.

He Will Pour Out My Spirit On All Flesh.

WHAT IS THE GIFT AND WORK OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD?

We Need To See It In Hebrew Terms.

John Was A Jew.

John Was Speaking Mostly To Jews.

Speaking In Terms Of The Jewish Doctrine Of The Spirit.

(i) The Word For Spirit: It Also Means Breath.

Breath Is Life; The Promise Of Life.

The Spirit Of God Breathes God's Life Into A Man.

When The Spirit Of God Enters Us A Defeated Life Leaves Us And A New Life Begins.

(ii) The Word For Spirit: It Also Means Wind.

It Is The Word For The Storm Wind.

The Mighty Rushing Wind That Once Elijah Heard.

Wind Means Power.

The Wind Has An Irresistible Power.

The Spirit Of God Is The Spirit Of Power.

(iii) The Word For Spirit: It Is Connected With Creation.

It Was The Spirit Of God Who Moved Upon The Face Of The Waters And Made The Chaos Into A Cosmos, Turned Disorder Into Order, And Made A World Out Of Nothing.

The Spirit Of God Can Re-Create Us.

(iv) The Word For Spirit: It Is Connected With Truth To Mankind.

The Spirit Changes Mankind's Human Ignorance Into Divine Knowledge.

(v) The Word For Spirit: It Is Connected With Sight.

The Spirit Enables Men To Recognize God's Truth When They See It.

When The Spirit Enters Our Hearts, Our Eyes Are Opened.

The Prejudices Which Blinded Us Are Taken Away.

The Self-Will Which Darkened Us Is Removed.

The Spirit Enables Us To See With Spiritual Eyes.

THE PROMISED ONE WILL BE WITH FIRE.

The Idea Of Illumination.

The Blaze Of A Flame Sends A Light Through The Night And Illuminates The Darkest Corners.

The Idea Of Warmth.

As One Who Light A Fire In Cold Rooms.

The Idea Of Purification.

The Purifying Flame Burns Away Lies And Leaves Truth.

THE PROMISED ONE WILL BE WITH SEPARATION.

The Picture Of The Threshing Floor.

The Grain Is Tossed Into The Air.

The Heavy Grain Falls To The Ground.

The Light Chaff Blows Away By The Wind.

The Coming Of Christ Involves A Separation.

Men Either Accept Him Or Reject Him.

When Confronted With The Message Of Jesus:

With A Choice Which Cannot Be Avoided.

With A Choices To Either Be For Or Against.

With A Choice Which Settles Your Destiny.

Mankind Is Separated By Their Reaction To Jesus Christ.

THE MESSAGE OF JOHN--THE DEMAND.

There Was One Basic Demand.

Demand Of John: REPENT!

Demand Of Jesus: REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL !

Repentance Was Central To All Religious Faith.

Repentance Was Central To All Relationship With God.

Repentance Was The Condition Of God's Forgiveness.

Repentance Was The Condition Of God's Restoration.

A CARDINAL DOCTRINE OF JUDAISM: REPENTANCE.

To The Jew:

One Gateway Back To God: The Gateway Of Repentance.

The Essence Of Repentance:

Change Of Mind, Change Of Life, Change Of Conduct.

Repentance Is That The Sinner Forsakes His Sin.

It Is A Turn From Evil To God With A Change In Action.

No Person Is Hopeless For Repentance.

No Person Is Beyond Repentance.

JESUS AND HIS BAPTISM.

MATTHEW 3:13-17.

Jesus Came From Galilee To Be Baptized In The Jordan.

John Says: He Was Not Worthy.

Jesus Says: Let It Be So To Fulfill All Righteousness.

Jesus Came Up Immediately From The Water.

The Heavens Were Opened For John To See.

The Spirit Descended Like A Dove Upon Jesus.

This Voice From Heaven Was Heard By John And Jesus.

This Was:

The Very Moment For Which Jesus Had Been Waiting.

The Beginning Of His Public Ministry.

The Opportunity To Identify With The People In Baptism.

THE VOICE HEARD BY JOHN AND JESUS AT THE BAPTISM IS OF SUPREME IMPORTANCE:

This Is My Beloved Son With Whom I Am Well Pleased.

That Sentence Is Composed Of Two Quotations.

This Is My Beloved Son (Psalms: 2:7): Description Of The Messiah, The Mighty King Of God Who Was To Come.

With Whom I Am Well Pleased (Isaiah: 42:1): Description Of The Suffering Servant That Is Also Stated In Isaiah 53.

THE BAPTISM SHOWS TWO CERTAINTIES:

The Certainty That:

Jesus Was Indeed The Chosen One Of God,

The Way In Front Of Him Was The Way Of The Cross.

Again, His Baptism Was:

The Kickoff For His Earthly Ministry !

He Knew That He Was Chosen To Be King,

He Knew That His Throne Must Be A Cross.

He Knew That He Was Destined To Be A Conqueror,

His Only Weapon Of This Conquest: THE POWER OF SUFFERING LOVE.

There Was Set Before Jesus Both His Task And The Only Way To The Fulfilling Of It.

FINAL QUESTION FOR US:

What Shall Be The Punishment Of The Sinner?

Wisdom Says:

Misfortune Pursues Sinners (Proverbs:13:21).

Prophecy Says:

The Soul That Sins Shall Die (Ezekiel:18:4).

The Law Says:

Let Him Bring A Sacrifice (Leviticus:1:4).

GOD SAYS:

LET THEM REPENT AND OBTAIN ATONEMENT.