SERIES: Matthew MESSAGE: Matthew 22:23-23:39 SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:23-23:39

Transcription

1 SERIES: Matthew MESSAGE: Matthew 22:23-23:39 SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22:23-23:39 MESSAGE SUMMARY In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable we learn here danger of that the perilous position. DETAILED NOTES I. Introduction A. Religion 1. About 90% of the 7 billion people on earth are very religious (includes combination of all religious/belief systems) 2. Religion: a set of beliefs and practices involving devotional and ritual observances B. Dark side: abusive 1. Every religious system in history or practice has done despicable things 2. Church: Crusades a. 11 th and 12 th centuries b. Under papacy c. Thousands of warriors killed unbelievers: Jews and Muslims d. Practice contradicted the teaching of the Scriptures 3. Islam: radical element a. Includes multi-millions of people b. Slaughter c. Mass suicide d. Killing of infidels e. Jihad 4. Jehovah's Witnesses a. Prohibit blood transfusions b. Many have died as a result C. Jesus deals with people 1. With prostitutes, overt sinners: compassionate, tenderness 2. With religious people a. Direct approach with the authority of heaven Page 1

2 II. b. Places them in category of bound for hell D. Religion differs from relationship with Jesus 1. Religion is coming to God on own terms 2. God has spelled out terms and revealed them to man 3. God has taken care of sin, which separates us from Him 4. God demands we come to Him through Christ, His Son in repentance and faith or be forever damned 5. We only need to believe and trust in the finished work of Christ 6. Jesus sacrificed 7. Whoever believes in Him will be saved E. Divisions in religious systems: Conservatives and Liberals 1. Christianity a. Fundamental, conservative i. Only one God ii. Only one way to Him Jesus Christ iii. Some conservatives legalistic and abusive: turn people off b. Liberal i. Believe Bible is not the Word of God ii. He/she god 2. Judaism a. Conservative: Pharisees i. Radical ritualists ii. Legalists b. Liberal: Sadducees i. Rationalists ii. Didn't believe in: resurrection, angels, spirits, Old Testament (except the first 5 books) anti-supernatural, wealthy, aristocratic iii. Controlled the temple for hundreds of years Jesus deals with the Sadducees A. Sadducees approach (vv ) 1. Argue against the resurrection 2. Appealing to the Law of Levirate Marriage a. In the Pentateuch b. To raise up seed for a dead brother by marrying the widow c. Preserve the name d. Preserve tribal allotments e. Ruth and Boaz: Kinsman redeemer 3. Ridiculous story B. Jesus' reply (vv ) 1. You are ignorant (KJV) Page 2

3 III. 2. Like the angels a. Deathless, eternal b. Some believe we turn into angels when we die: untrue c. No need to propagate, procreate 3. Proves the resurrection a. Quotes from the books they believe in b. Present tense: "I am the God of your father the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6) c. Not past tense, "I was" d. Present tense relationship with God 4. Silenced the Sadducees 5. People were astonished Pharisees and Sadducees join forces A. The greatest commandment 1. Lawyer asked 2. Jews believed in 613 laws a. 248 positive; correspond to parts of human body b. 365 negative; correspond to days in a year c. Love God with all your being, every day B. Jesus' response 1. ; Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear O Israel the Lord is our God, the Lord is One You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might 2. Love the Lord is the heart of it all 3. You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18) 4. Old Testament summed up in two categories a. Love for God b. Love for neighbors 5. The Ten Commandments a. First 4 deal with our vertical relationship to God b. Second 6 deal with our horizontal relationships with others 6. Sermon on the Mount a. The Law governs what you do and what you feel and think b. Law addresses not only action, but attitude i. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22) ii. Paul acknowledged covetousness dealt with the heart (See Romans 7:7-11) Page 3

4 IV. C. Messianic term: Son of David 1. Promise to David that his descendant would be upon the throne forever (see 2 Samuel 7:12-13) 2. Solomon died 3. Jews believed the Messiah would be human only, not divine 4. David called Messiah "Lord" a. ; Adonai b. Wouldn't call a human descendant Lord c. See Psalm 110:1 d. Messiah both divine and human D. Jesus' wisdom silenced them Jesus addresses the crowd A. Regarding Pharisees 1. Sit in Moses' seat a. Teach Law of God with authority b. Rabbis sat; people stood c. Chair a place of authority i. Pope speaks ex cathedra; from the chair ii. Professors hold a chair 2. Listen to the Scripture a. They are high on talk; low on walk b. Creed is good; their practice is abominable 3. Abusive religious system: legalism a. Few paragraphs in the Old Testament address the Sabbath b. Mishnah (written form of oral law) 24 chapters about Sabbath c. Talmud i. 156 pages regarding the Sabbath ii. Define burden a.) Food enough to equal weight of a dried fig b.) Milk enough for a swallow c.) Oil enough to anoint one member of the body d.) Ink enough for two letters e.) If exceeded, the Sabbath was broken f.) Hens laid eggs, sell to Gentiles d. Heavy burdens, hard to bear B. Phylacteries 1. Leather boxes a. Jewish men tied to forehead and left arm b. Inside passages i. Two from Exodus Page 4

5 ii. Two from Deuteronomy 2. Over literalize writings of Exodus 13:7-9 a. "Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.' It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord's law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt." b. "In your mouth;" no parchment in mouth 3. Meaning of text a. Handle it b. Think about it c. Speak about it d. Part of your being 4. The Law should continually be before them: guide their activity C. Garments 1. Tassels 2. ; tsitsith; tassel 3. Blue thread spoke of heaven 4. Longer tassels, more holy 5. Jesus wore these (see Matthew 9:20) D. They focused on externals rather than the heart 1. Best seats 2. Certain titles feed egos and intimidate others 3. Level ground at the cross 4. All believers have an equal brotherhood 5. Term "reverend" used for God alone a. Slave is a proper title b. Paul and Timothy referred to selves as slaves c. Serve God and others V. Woe to Scribes and Pharisees A. Divided vows 1. Obligatory 2. Non-obligatory 3. Loved gold more than God B. Tithed of aromatic spices 1. Tithe of produce didn't govern spices 2. Meticulous; counted seeds one by one to give a tenth 3. Jesus applauded their exactness, but they left out the most important parts: justice, mercy, faith Page 5

6 VI. VII. C. Blind guides: strain gnats, swallow camels 1. Gnat the smallest of unclean animals 2. Camel largest of unclean animals 3. Strain beverages through cloth 4. Externals, nitpicking legalism 5. Focus on incidentals and externals; not the meaning of the Law D. White washed tombs 1. Painted white so that you would notice and avoid them 2. Avoid ceremonial uncleanness 3. Tombs appeared brilliant, clean, ornate 4. Inside was death and decay E. Harsh words of Love 1. Faithful are the wounds of a friend 2. Popular, but incorrect, concept of Jesus: meek and mild a. Reformer b. Let's people do anything 3. True love is righteous and holy 4. Love can be firm and yet just 5. Zechariah refers to 2 Chronicles 24 (last book of Hebrew Old Testament) F. Jesus rejected, now rejects them nationally 1. Cursing of the fig tree 2. Burning of Jerusalem (see Matthew 22:7) Jesus laments over Jerusalem A. Patience of God: sent prophets B. Pleading of God: as a hen gathers her chicks C. Power of choice: you were not willing Application A. "If God does not judge America, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah a deep apology." Billy Graham 1. One nation, Under God a. Constitution ensures freedom of worship, not freedom from worship b. Revisionists push God away 2. It could be too late a. Not facing judgment b. Already under judgment 3. Given over to what is asked for (See Romans 1) a. Killing millions of innocent babies b. Upholding any civil union B. Bible says a lot about many countries (e.g., China, Iran, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Turkey, Israel); but US is eerily absent from Bible prophecy Page 6

7 1. Perhaps we don t' exist to any degree of importance 2. Perhaps such mercy that we are not part of end time judgment C. Every subset is encouraged to be vocal; Christians should come out and say, "I love Jesus!" Hebrew terms: ; Sh'ma Yisrael - Hear O Israel; ; Adonai - Lord Figures referenced: Billy Graham Cross references: Exodus 3:6; Exodus 13:7-9; Leviticus 19:18; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; 2 Chronicles 24; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 9:20; Matthew 22:7; Romans 1; Romans 7:7-11 Topic: Pharisees and Sadducees Keywords: hypocrisy, Pharisee, Pharisees, Sadducees, Sadducee, judgment, hypocrite Page 7