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The Resurrection Power
Matthew 22:23 'The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,'
The Greek word used here for resurrection means 'a standing or rising up.' The resurrection is a major theme of New Testament teaching. Out of the 13 sermons in the book of Acts, 11 stress or simply mention the resurrection.
Man consists of three parts - a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Th. 5:23). The body is mortal while the spirit and soul are immortal. At death, man's body goes through the decomposition process and returns to its original elements.
At the resurrection, man's departed soul and spirit are called forth from either heaven or hell. The material elements of the body are raised up, reassembled, and united...
Our Life Belongs To God
Matthew 22:20-21 'And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.'
MATTHEW 22:20-22
The image on the denarius, the only small silver coin acceptable for imperial tax payments, was probably that of Tiberius Caesar (reigned A.D. 14-37). The inscription upon the coin read 'Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus' with the reverse side reading 'Chief Priest.' This inscription was a claim to divinity and as emperor, the right to be worshiped.
The Jews had tried many times to accuse Jesus on the basis of religious issues and had...
Our Righteousness Is In Christ
Matthew 22:11 'And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:'
MATTHEW 22:8-14
In this time, it was customary for the host to provide their guests with wedding garments to wear to the wedding. It was an insult of the highest degree to refuse to wear the clothing provided since the guests were brought in directly from the highways and streets. The wedding garment speaks of the righteousness of Christ that God so graciously provides for all who accept His invitation into the kingdom. It must be put on by both good and bad (Mt. 22:10).
Right standing before a holy God is not to be achieved in keeping the law but in humble trust in the person and work...
FIRST, LET'S SEE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS TRUTH IS NOT? FOR ONE, THE DEVIL IS NOT TRUTH. "JOHN 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do . He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." AND IT SEEMS THAT THE OPPOSITE OF TRUTH IS A LIE AND THAT THE DEVIL IS A LIAR, WHICH WE ALL KNOW.
SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT TRUTH. WE KNOW THAT IT COMES FROM JESUS. "JOHN 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace...
Righteousness Depends On God, Not On Self
Matthew 21:28-30 '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. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.'
MATTHEW 21:23-24; MARK 11:27-33; 12:1-2; LUKE 20:1-9
This parable was given in response to the religious leaders rejecting Jesus' authority. Through this parable, Jesus reveals God's rejection of the Jews in response to their rejection of His Son. Jesus is showing that those who do the will of God are actually the ones invested with God's authority.
These leaders had a form of godliness...
Faith Is A Muscle
Matthew 21:26 'But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.'
MATTHEW 21:23-27
Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.' These men were seeking to snare Jesus in His words, but they couldn't because He was safely trusting in the Lord. It was easy for Jesus to 'turn the tables on them' and catch them because they feared man (Jn. 5:44).
Jesus had already shown that all of their works were done so that they could be seen of men (Mt. 6:5). They were not really seeking to please God, but were doing all their religious works for the praise of men. It is totally vain for a man who is bound by the fear of man to try...