WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.160 Turn to the Gospel of Matthew. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.800 It's the first book of the New Testament, Matthew chapter 2. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:28.480 A little sad to be saying turn to the Gospel of Matthew for the last time in two years now. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:35.840 And we're not going to be limiting ourselves to Matthew 2, but I want to start by reading from Scripture. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:40.079 Matthew 2, verses 1 through 11. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:54.960 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.719 For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:04.079 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.840 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:24.000 In Bethlehem of Judea, they told him, Because this is what was written by the prophet, and you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:29.760 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.599 He said to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the child. 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:38.239 When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him. 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:50.079 After hearing the king, they went on their way, and there it was the star they had seen at its rising, it led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:54.799 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:02.879 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshipped him. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:10.159 Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:12.560 Let's see, God again. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:23.039 What precious words you allow us to sing, Lord, that the King there in his beauty without a veil is seen. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:40.879 And we pray that we would indeed desire the King in His beauty, that we desire to know our Lord Jesus personally, as fully as possible in this life, that our hearts would be craving Him and worshiping Him with everything that we have. 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:46.879 Make us ready, disciples, eager to listen to your word today, we pray. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:47.919 In Jesus' name. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:48.719 Amen. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:55.360 This is probably one of the most challenging sermons I've had to preach. 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:59.439 The title is Remembering Matthew. 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:03.439 We've been going through this book for two years. 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.879 It's one thing to preach an overview message on a book of the Bible. 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:08.159 That's challenging. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:09.919 We've been doing that on Sunday nights. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:18.400 I'd encourage you if you haven't had a chance to come out on Sunday night, come out, listen as various men take one book of the Bible at a time and teach through it. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:26.080 But in this occasion, it's not merely an overview message, it's a remembering message. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:35.360 How do you look back over two plus years of sermons and pick out the choicest and best nuggets? 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:37.199 That's a very hard task. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:42.400 No doubt some of you might come up to me afterwards and say, Micah, why didn't you mention this? 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.560 Or I can't believe you didn't say this. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:48.080 And I'll probably have to say, you know what, guilty as charged. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:49.599 You're right, I didn't. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:51.759 But but do come to me afterwards. 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:59.439 Do tell me what you've learned and how you've enjoyed the gospel of Matthew so that I can rejoice with you in the Lord. 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:11.360 When Pastor Doug started off this study through Matthew, he gave the illustration of flying in a plane over an area versus walking along the ground. 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:14.719 Flying in a plane, you get the big highlights. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:17.680 You see the contours and features from a bird's eye view. 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:19.040 And then you walk along the ground. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.720 It takes a lot longer, but you see all the nooks and crannies. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:28.399 And so going through a book at one shot is kind of like that overview flight. 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:40.240 Or if you want to think about it a different way, if you take an overview, we're gonna set up some big, important building blocks, some big themes that Matthew seeks to build what he's doing on. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:46.879 And if you haven't been with us for the last two years, and I know some of you started coming within the last two years, that's okay. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:50.319 If today is your very first Sunday with us, that's okay. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:55.360 Listen in and enjoy what we've experienced as we go through this book together. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:58.000 So, how do you summarize Matthew? 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:03.120 You're probably thinking, well, Jesus has got to be in there somewhere, right? 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:04.959 And you're exactly right. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.639 The main character of the gospel of Matthew is Jesus Christ. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:10.480 There are four gospels devoted to him. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:12.560 Matthew is one of them specifically. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.120 So, yes, Jesus is central. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:23.759 And Matthew helps us to see that the promised king has come to save his people. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:30.959 Matthew helps us see that the promised king has come to save his people. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:36.000 And we're gonna seek to build that as we go through some different building blocks. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:39.120 So let's start with first building block. 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.360 Jesus is king. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.040 Jesus is king. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.560 I read Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 to 11 at the outset. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.160 Hopefully you're still there. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:54.560 From Jesus' birth, from the very start of his life, he's associated with kings. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:59.680 So Matthew points out Jesus was born in the days of King Herod. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:03.600 King Herod is jealous and tries to kill Jesus. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:09.680 The verse in verse two of chapter two, the wise men are asking, Where is this one who has been born? 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.680 King of the Jews. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:13.279 They travel a long way. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:17.759 Verse 4 speaks of Jesus as a great ruler who's going to come. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:20.720 And then that's chapter 2. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:29.120 But back in chapter 1, if you just turn back to chapter 1, as Matthew opens his gospel, he starts with connecting Jesus to David. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:34.959 And let me say also while we're here, I'm going to be offering you a lot of verses from Matthew as we go. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.040 Some of them I'll ask you to turn to specifically, some of them I won't ask you to turn to. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:40.399 If you want to try to turn, you can. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:44.079 If you want to just listen in and wait for me to ask you to turn there, that's fine too. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:45.759 Whatever's helpful for you. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.439 But in chapter one, when Matthew opens the gospel, he connects Jesus to David. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:58.160 So an account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:10.160 Then he gives this long genealogy and it's structured around 14 generations, 14 generations, also a reference to David as the fulcrum of that genealogy. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:17.439 In verse 20, when the angel appears to Joseph, the angel refers to Joseph as a son of David. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:19.680 Who is David? 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:22.480 David's a famous king. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:25.920 Do you hear that link and connection again? 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:28.959 Now let's fast forward. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:33.600 When we come all the way to Matthew 21, the triumphal entry. 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:35.279 Jesus is a grown man. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:39.439 He comes into Jerusalem for one of his final appearances. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:48.800 And the crowds are shouting out, Hosanna to the son of David, the son of the great king. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:56.480 And then Matthew quotes a verse from Zachariah: See, your king is coming to you. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:01.920 In Matthew 27, Jesus is on trial before Pilate. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.639 And Pilate asks him if he's king of the Jews. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.040 They put a placard above his head as he's crucified. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.600 This was the king of the Jews. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.439 One of the thieves cries out on the cross, He's the king of Israel. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.759 Let him come down from the cross. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:35.679 So at key points in Matthew's gospel, opening genealogy, birth of Christ, triumphal entry, crucifixion, at all of these points, the idea of Jesus as king is swirling around. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:42.639 On top of that, Matthew speaks of the kingdom of heaven. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:46.000 So part of what we covered was in Matthew chapter 5. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:54.320 You may remember the Beatitude, that's going back a ways now, but we took time to slow down and go through each beatitude with one sermon at a time. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:09:06.799 Well, in Matthew 5, those beatitudes, those blessings begin with a blessing for those who will have the kingdom of heaven. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:11.600 And then at the end again, they will receive the kingdom of heaven. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:20.000 In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells a number of parables explaining and illustrating the kingdom of heaven. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:27.519 Now, track with me though, usually when you have a kingdom, there's also got to be a king. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.159 Jesus is the king. 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:34.480 But what kind of king is he? 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:40.480 How does Matthew reveal Jesus as the king? 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:47.919 When we think about a king, we often think of someone who rules, who has authority. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.440 And that's true, Jesus does rule, he does have authority. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.960 But that's not the full and complete picture of Jesus. 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:59.679 And this is where many people in Matthew's gospel, oh, they wanted a king. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.320 But they wanted a king on their terms, not on his terms. 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:14.320 They wanted a king of their own devising for their own purposes rather than receiving Jesus as he revealed himself to be. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:22.879 How else could you explain that the crowds could be shouting out one day, Hosanna to the Son of David? 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:30.080 And then shortly after that, seemingly many of those same people are shouting out, crucify him. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:36.159 He didn't meet the kind of kingly expectations that they were looking for. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:46.960 The Jewish people in particular were looking for a knight to kind of ride in in shining armor and overthrow the Roman rulers. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:51.039 And Jesus does come again on a horse. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:57.039 He does come again in regal splendor, but his first coming was different in many ways. 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:04.240 He's going to be a conquering king, but Matthew reveals him first as a suffering king. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:14.559 So what do we make of Jesus? 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:21.600 Are we willing to accept him as he reveals himself to be, as the suffering king? 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.600 Yes, the Almighty, all-ruling one. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:31.120 He wasn't impotent in that sense or weak in any way, but he allowed himself to be killed. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:38.879 And even in that demonstration, it was a demonstration of laying down his life voluntarily. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:43.279 What strength, and yet at the same time, what gentleness. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:47.279 And doesn't that speak to our own lives today? 00:11:47.919 --> 00:12:01.759 We want a king who is not weak, or a king who is not brash, or a king who is not deceptive, or a king who doesn't run over people, or Jesus again was courageous. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.279 He was determined. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:10.159 And yet he didn't break a bruised reed or quench a smoking flax till he put out judgment to victory. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:18.000 He's gentle and lowly in heart, and he invites people to come and find rest for their souls, first and foremost. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:22.159 So we'll come to that mission of Christ a little bit later on in the sermon. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:27.200 But before we do that, first building block, Jesus is king. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:28.559 He's the king. 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:32.879 Next building block, Jesus is the promised king. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:45.679 Over and over in Matthew's gospel, we've seen this idea of fulfillment, that Jesus comes as the long-awaited fulfillment of all that was promised in the Old Testament scriptures. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:51.279 He doesn't pop onto the scene suddenly out of the blue like E.T. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:13:00.399 He's he's there, he's been slated to come all along, and he comes in fulfillment of all that the prophets spoke about. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:06.799 I reference that passage in Matthew 21, where Matthew says, Your king is coming to you. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.639 He says that because he's quoting Zachariah and says it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:17.360 Jesus rides in on a donkey, your king is coming to you, gentle and lowly in heart. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:22.000 If you're not still there, turn to Matthew 2, turn back to Matthew 2. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:30.720 I started there because again, with those that have ears to hear, they shouldn't have misunderstood the kind of king they needed. 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:37.120 If they really had ears to hear, if they were grabbing hold of the Old Testament scriptures, they would have known better what kind of a king to look for. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:46.720 And I mentioned Matthew chapter 2 because three different times in Matthew 2, it speaks of Christ fulfilling, fulfilling. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.200 Verse 15. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:58.960 He stayed there until Herod's death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:01.039 Out of Egypt I called my son. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:07.360 Verse 17 That what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:15.039 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping in great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be consoled because they are no more. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:26.639 And then verse 23, then he went and settled into a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:39.519 So early on in the gospel, it's like Matthew, it's like he has this megaphone out and he's announcing, He's here, the king is here, the king who's been promised, the king who comes in fulfillment of all that's been said. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:44.480 It's fulfilled, it's fulfilled, it's filled, it's fulfilled, he's here, he's here, he's here. 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:54.799 When we think of fulfillment, we often think of direct verbal prediction. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.960 And we do have that in scripture. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:59.519 You can see verse 5 of chapter 2. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:00.399 Look back at that. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:01.759 I read that earlier. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:07.759 In Bethlehem of Judea, they told him, Because this is what was written by the prophet. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:16.639 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:20.799 So the Old Testament said, a ruler's coming from Bethlehem. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.559 Here's Jesus, he's from Bethlehem, boom, there it is. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:29.120 Direct verbal prediction, and Jesus fulfills that. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:44.639 But what we've seen in Matthew as we've gone through is that there's another kind of fulfillment, and this fulfillment arguably happens even more often than direct verbal prediction. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:49.039 And that's the fulfillment of historical patterns. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:16:01.679 There are events and people and places from the Old Testament, and often there's repeating events and repeating kinds of people and repeated references to places. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:17.120 And those historical objects, people, events form a pattern that creates an expectation for something greater to fulfill the final installment of that pattern. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:21.600 And Jesus, in so many ways, fulfills those patterns. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:24.480 Let me give you one example of that just in general. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:26.799 This is a little easier to track. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:31.200 In the Old Testament, they slaughtered animals all the time. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:37.919 Animal sacrifice after animal sacrifice after animal sacrifice, lamb killed after lamb killed after lamb killed. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:40.159 It's like that kept happening. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:45.679 There was a pattern there because there's a greater lamb who is coming. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:51.279 So John the Baptist can say, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:56.159 But that wouldn't really make sense what John said without that repeated pattern. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:05.680 If you just had John saying that, how would you know why is Jesus a lamb and what what's the but the pattern helps set up for Jesus to fulfill that? 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:08.000 So there's patterns like that. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:13.200 There's one here in Matthew 2, more than one, but look again at verse 15. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:22.079 The the technical word for that sort of what I'm calling pattern prophecy is typology. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:23.920 Now it's kind of a fancy word. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.759 If that word makes you think of Times New Roman and Ariel, then forget about it. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.640 Don't worry about it. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:34.319 But if you're reading other places, they might use the word typology, but just pattern prophecy or picture prophecy. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:35.680 Look at verse 15. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:39.680 This is a little more complicated example, and we'll just we'll just sketch it here. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:42.240 But it's an example of this kind of pattern fulfillment. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:50.720 He stayed there until Herod's death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophets might be fulfilled. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:52.799 There's our key word fulfilled. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:56.000 Out of Egypt I called my son. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.640 What's going on in Matthew 2? 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:07.440 Again, Joseph and Mary flee with baby Jesus into Egypt in order to escape from Herod, who's trying to have Jesus killed. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:09.920 So you think, okay, well, I get it. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.759 Out of Egypt, I called my son. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:14.400 They go to Egypt, baby Jesus is with them. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:16.880 At some point they got to come back from Egypt. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:18.799 So he's gonna kind of fulfill that. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.559 It kind of makes sense. 00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:28.079 Except, when you go back to Hosea chapter 11, and Matthew here is quoting from Hosea chapter 11. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:34.079 You go back and read where he quotes from Hosea chapter 11, it doesn't sound like a prediction. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:41.119 Hosea 11 doesn't say, Oh you of Egypt, out of you will come the Messiah one day in the last days. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:50.960 When you read Hosea 11, it sounds like the Lord is describing a past historical event through the prophet Hosea. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.319 Israel is referred to as God's son. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:56.079 The nation is called God's son. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:02.960 And it seems like in Hosea 11, the prophet is saying, Remember, Israel, out of Egypt I called my son. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:07.920 Remember when you were in Egypt and you were enslaved to the Egyptians, and I brought you out? 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.160 So he's just saying what happened. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:19.039 So how is baby Jesus in Egypt, how is that a fulfillment of an event that took place in the past? 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:24.880 Because it's an example of this kind of pattern fulfillment. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:32.400 God's son Israel was in Egypt and God brought them out. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:40.000 But there's a greater son coming, a greater Israel coming, and God's gonna bring him out of Egypt. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:44.240 He fulfills the pattern of what happened in Israel's history. 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:53.599 The book of Matthew presents Jesus as the true fulfillment of the nation of Israel. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:20:06.160 Their very existence and the things that happened to them were a kind of anticipation of Or expectation or promise looking forward that Matthew says, King Jesus is here. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:08.960 He's the promised one who fulfills these things. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:20.480 So Israel comes out of Egypt and then they go through the waters and they go into the wilderness and they're tempted by God and they fail. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.039 Jesus comes out of Egypt. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:28.240 Then Matthew moves to his baptism scene where he passes through the waters. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:35.839 Then Matthew brings us to Jesus in the wilderness being tempted, tested by the Lord. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.920 But now we see the contrast. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:50.240 Unlike Israel, who complained and griped and had to be there 40 years because of all their moaning and groaning, Jesus, tempted by Satan himself, perfectly passes the test. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:55.759 God says that he was displeased with Israel in the wilderness. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:01.440 He says of Jesus, this is my beloved son with whom I'm well pleased. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.039 Pattern fulfillment. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.880 He's the promised king. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:13.279 Jesus' first great rule, uh, not Jesus, sorry, Israel's first great ruler was Moses. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:19.440 Matthew shows many ways that Jesus fulfills the pattern of a Moses-like ruler. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:22.960 So Moses is a great prophet who teaches the people. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:28.160 A lot of what we've seen in Matthew is Jesus teaching as a prophet of God. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:34.160 And this may be a stretch, but there's five big blocks of teaching in Matthew. 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:36.319 Moses wrote five books. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.160 Some people said, that's kind of interesting. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.400 But there's other ways that are even more clear. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:48.240 For example, in Matthew 5 through 7, Jesus gives what we sometimes refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:50.319 Why do we call it that? 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:56.799 Well, it's because Scripture tells us Jesus went up on the mountain and began to teach. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:57.359 Okay. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:02.240 That exact phrase went up on the mountain. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:06.240 In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it's only used three times. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:16.000 It's always used of when Moses went up on the mountain of Sinai and received God's law and gave it to the people. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:25.759 And now Jesus goes up in fulfillment of that pattern and gives God's teaching to the people, but he does it in a way that has even more authority than Moses. 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:29.359 Moses receives the law, the hands of angels and the Lord. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:34.880 Jesus is himself, the Lord of glory, God himself giving his law. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:42.559 Jesus is not only a king, he's the promised king. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:47.759 We've already talked about how he's presented as David's son, David's son, fulfillment, fulfillment. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:49.359 David's own son, Solomon. 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:51.440 Well, wasn't Solomon even greater than David? 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:52.160 Yes. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:23:06.079 And in Matthew chapter 12, verse 42, Jesus says that the queen of the south came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but something greater than Solomon is here. 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:14.720 Those earthly kings and rulers, whether Moses or even later David, who's greater, or Solomon's even greater, Jesus is even greater than them. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:27.359 And when we see what Matthew's doing with all of these pattern fulfillments, it should just massively affect the way that we read Scripture. 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:42.240 So I hope and we pray that this series in Matthew has helped us together not only to hear God's word as it's taught, but even in our own reading, to read scripture carefully with a view to finding Jesus Christ. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:43.519 So it sounds great. 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:45.359 We want to look for Christ in all of Scripture. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:49.839 If I were to ask you, where do you find Christ in the Old Testament? 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:51.440 How would you answer? 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:58.240 Well, Isaiah 53, he was pierced for our transgressions, he was wounded for our iniquities. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:23:59.440 That is great. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:00.160 Amen. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:01.039 Wonderful. 00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:02.480 Where else? 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:08.319 Uh there's a virgin will conceive in Barasan, not sure where that is. 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:09.839 That's somewhere there, too. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:10.799 Amen. 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:11.759 Yes. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:25.119 What Matthew is showing us, there's not just a verse here or a verse there, but there's whole sweeps of historical events and people and places that bring us to Christ. 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:40.079 And it's not because we have a great imagination, it's because we're reading carefully and we're looking for these patterns, these God-intended patterns, as one commentator calls them pattern-shaped promises. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:25:06.720 Another thing about this understanding of Jesus as the promised king, when we read the Bible the way that Matthew, under inspiration from God, so we can't fault him in any way, the way he read his Bible, the details of our own individual lives become less significant. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:08.559 And it's actually a good thing. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.480 It's not a bad thing. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:20.000 Sometimes when people talk about, you know, making Jesus the center of their lives, it can sound a little bit like this. 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:23.599 You know, I was really just distressed. 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:30.559 I didn't know if I should get the granite countertops or the or the walnut countertops. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:34.960 And I was walking through my neighborhood, and then I saw this stone. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:38.799 And then I was remembering, Jesus says, You gotta build on the rock. 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:44.079 And I I knew Jesus was calling me to get the granite countertops. 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:47.920 I'm just, if if he wasn't the center of my life, I don't know what I would do. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:50.880 Couple of things. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:54.000 First, I hate to break it to you. 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:55.759 No one cares what kind of countertops you get. 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:57.119 Just pick some. 00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:01.599 That was kind of me, but uh I'm sure people love home decor. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:04.960 If you love that, that's great, and we'll I'll celebrate with you and you get your your countertops. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:06.720 But and this is this is the more important thing, then. 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:08.000 This is the more important thing. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:11.519 We we trust that, and I pray this is not the case. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:18.480 It it when we talk that way, it doesn't sound like Jesus is the center of our lives. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:22.880 It sounds like the home that home decor is the center of our lives. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:29.920 Making Jesus center of our lives is not just we've got him like our dear Abbey columnist. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:36.960 He can always give us some good advice for our events and the people that we know and the objects that we love. 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:48.480 We've got a scripture that brings us and shows us how all of history is orchestrated by God to point to the Savior. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:27:00.720 And the events of the past, the events of people's lives when we weren't even existing, were designed by God to highlight the beauty of this king and the glory of his redemption. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:02.640 There's eternal significance there. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:07.519 And if we belong to King Jesus, then that's that's meaningful. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:09.440 That's that's something that's really important. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:20.559 That that brings an eternal reality to our lives that's far more grand and glorious than those little details that sometimes occupy us so much. 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:26.319 One final building block for this morning. 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:30.319 I didn't say the sermon was almost over, I just said one final building block. 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:36.000 Jesus is king, he's the promised king. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:39.920 He's the promised king who's come to save his people. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:42.960 Turn back to Matthew chapter one. 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:51.119 We already heard this read this morning, but look again at verse 21. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:28:05.920 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:11.200 That's the fundamental problem with humanity. 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:16.240 That's the fundamental reason why Jesus came. 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:22.960 According to verse 23, he's also called Emmanuel, God with us. 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:28.000 We as humans were made to know and enjoy God. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.400 But that communion's broken. 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:38.559 God can't rightly in his righteousness dwell and live with people who are rebels, who are sinners, and that's all of us. 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:41.359 So that problem has to be resolved. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:51.680 And that's what Jesus came to do to save his people from their sins, so that we might again receive Emmanuel, God, with us and know him in that fellowship and personal communion. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:29:01.440 Jesus didn't come first and foremost to be a political advisor in the earthly sphere. 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:04.400 He didn't come first and foremost to give wise advice to people. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:10.640 He didn't come first and foremost to be a doctor that could that could help people get their health together. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:16.400 Yes, the Bible speaks to all of those areas, and Jesus will affect all of those things. 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:22.319 But without that foundation of forgiveness of sins, those those good things can never take place. 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:25.519 So we have to keep that central purpose in mind. 00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:36.319 If we don't, we're going to be in danger of treating Jesus like the Jewish people did, or even like the Rome people did, as a mere human who can help them in the here and now. 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:38.319 But but what about God? 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:39.759 What about eternity? 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:42.079 What about all those things? 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:55.759 The fact that the Lord of the Ages took on a human nature and allowed himself to be slaughtered, that wasn't a failure. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:01.519 Matthew shows us that was a radical success. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:04.960 Because that's what was needed. 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:13.839 And this same king invites us to receive him. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:34.240 That we who should have been sacrificed and slaughtered, like Herod wanted to do with those babies, we who should have experienced not just human judgment, but actually God's judgment for our rebellion, we can come to Christ and find life. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:40.640 And Jesus extends with all of his kingly authority that warm welcome. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:46.559 Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:50.160 You won't find it anywhere else, but you'll find it in Christ. 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:58.480 When we're truly saved, so Jesus came as the promised king to save his people. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:16.160 When we truly find that salvation from God, our sins are forgiven, when we become disciples of Jesus Christ, he's saved us, not just so that we can have kind of a ticket in our pocket that when we get to heaven after we die, we can, oh, where's this ticket? 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:17.759 Yeah, I can get in. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:23.359 The salvation of Jesus leads to us being his followers. 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:27.759 I mean, how could we not follow someone who has sacrificed himself? 00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:30.799 He's really brought us a restoration with God. 00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:32.240 I want to follow that person. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.680 I want to lay down my life. 00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:35.920 I want, I want to pick up my cross. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:43.279 So we don't live that life of a disciple in order to earn God's favor, but out of thankfulness for what Christ has accomplished. 00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:47.759 And we see the call to Matthew throughout as a call to discipleship. 00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:53.279 Lest someone be confused and think, once again, I'll take Jesus on my terms. 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:56.960 I'll take some forgiveness and then I'll live how I want. 00:31:57.279 --> 00:32:01.920 That shows you probably don't really know and understand who Jesus is. 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:06.319 You haven't actually really seen your sin for the horrible thing that it is. 00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:14.640 The call to be a saved disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ is a radical call. 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:20.480 It doesn't mean you have to go live on a commune in Oklahoma somewhere. 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:23.920 But when I say radical, I mean it's total. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:28.880 It affects, it should affect every dimension of our lives. 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:36.079 How we talk, how we think, how we act, how we work, how we play, how we worship. 00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:37.839 It's it's total. 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:41.839 Turn to Matthew 16. 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:44.240 Turn over to Matthew 16. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:33:00.400 There's a lot of places we can go when we speak to this salvation that Jesus brought for those who know, for those who've turned from their sins and embraced his substitutionary sacrifice and trust in him alone. 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:03.920 We could go in a lot of places, but let me get how do you go to Matthew 16? 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:13.680 Those who have been saved by King Jesus, they confess Jesus as Messiah and Lord. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:15.119 And we find this in chapter 16. 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.559 Look at verse 16. 00:33:17.359 --> 00:33:25.759 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. 00:33:26.319 --> 00:33:28.079 There's the confession. 00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:31.759 So we don't we don't work and work and work and hope. 00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:37.920 We confess, we trust, but then there's the fruit of following him with our lives. 00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:40.319 Now look down to verse 18. 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:57.279 And I also say to you that this is Christ still speaking, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 00:33:58.640 --> 00:34:09.519 The very first institution that Jesus our King mentions after this central confession from Peter is the church. 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:21.760 So at this critical point of Matthew's gospel, Jesus shows us that his true confessors, his true disciples who have been saved, they're going to assemble together. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:33.840 It's the Lord's doing, he builds his church, but that institution is going to be a foundational piece of the kind of life God calls his saved disciples to live. 00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:45.039 Might have told the story before, but I was with a group of youth workers one day, good folks who are trying to love teens, especially. 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:56.320 And someone had mentioned, you know, surveys suggest that young people they they want to follow Jesus, they just don't want to be part of the church. 00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:00.320 You know what that reveals? 00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:07.039 If that's true, it reveals young people have misunderstood what it means to follow Jesus. 00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:09.840 Now it might reveal more than that. 00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:15.039 Certainly, sadly, there are churches that don't well exhibit the glory and beauty of Christ. 00:35:15.199 --> 00:35:16.880 We we acknowledge that. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:23.840 But Jesus said he's going to build his church and he loves the church. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:26.239 That's his body, that's his bride. 00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:32.639 So if you're really saved and you're following Jesus, you you would want to love his body and bride. 00:35:32.719 --> 00:35:36.960 And it's such an incredible thing that Jesus has saved us as individuals. 00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:45.039 Yes, we don't become a disciple simply because our parents are, or simply because we were born in a certain country, anything like that. 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:51.760 He saves us as individuals, but he doesn't save us to be by ourselves. 00:35:52.320 --> 00:36:04.960 He saves us to be part of assemblies that gather together for worship and prayer, that go out and speak and share and work and labor and give. 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:08.000 This is the life God has called us to. 00:36:08.239 --> 00:36:11.519 This is what we get to do as a follower of Jesus Christ. 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:16.159 Last passage for this morning, Matthew 28. 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:17.360 Turn over there. 00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:23.360 Pastor Doug was just here last week. 00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:34.639 There's a attention in Matthew, as all of the gospels, that Christ has accomplished salvation. 00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:38.079 He's brought in his kingdom, he's the king who reigns. 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:40.960 And yet we see people that haven't bowed the knee to him. 00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:44.079 We experience death and suffering. 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:53.840 So the king has arrived, he's inaugurated his kingdom, but the final installment isn't here yet. 00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:55.119 That's in glory. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:37:07.440 But in the meantime, he's given us the power of worship, and he's given us a mission to share that the promised king has come to save his people. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:20.960 To share with those that we know and love, the promised king has come to save his people, to share lovingly, thoughtfully, in wisdom, but to speak the promised king has come to save his people. 00:37:21.760 --> 00:37:28.800 And in Matthew 28, that's the call that Jesus leaves to his followers. 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:32.000 That's the call that Matthew leaves us with. 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:35.920 And you might, this question might even be in your minds. 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:41.199 Who are his people? 00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:47.920 It's all those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone. 00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:53.039 That includes people from all places. 00:37:54.000 --> 00:38:02.400