Citywide Baptist Church
Recognising Jesus' Rightful Place
Jesus isn't someone to trifle with...
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
Who is Jesus in your life?
Matthew has written chapters 11 and 12 to challenge his readers that Jesus is either Lord or he is nothing.
Matthew has written chapters 11 and 12 to challenge his readers that Jesus is either Lord or he is nothing.
Jesus is saying in Matthew's gospel what he says in John's Gospel:
Jesus wants people to know that through him everything has changed
In case people are missing the point, Matthew quotes Isaiah 42:
To reinforce his words, Matthew describes how easily Jesus dispatches the forces of evil, and how this "sign" caused the ordinary people to see who he is.
The Pharisees tried (again) to explain away an obvious sign of Jesus' authority by calling the work of the Spirit a work of evil.
Jesus points out, that in order to defeat Beelzebul, the evil one needs to be overpowered by the power of the Spirit of God.
In this chapter we see the relationship between the Father and the Son and the Spirit, as they work uniquely but as one.
In this chapter we see the relationship between the Father and the Son and the Spirit, as they work uniquely but as one.
Just as he has said "something greater than the temple is here", he is now saying "something greater than evil is here" by pointing out the necessity of defeating the "strong man" before plundering his house.
Jesus is asking the question again: What is your relationship to him?
The unforgivable sin calling the work of the Spirit of God, evil.
Jesus is clear that it's not about accidentally saying the wrong words, but that words betray what is going on in the heart:
The unforgivable sin calling the work of the Spirit of God, evil.
Jesus is clear that it's not about accidentally saying the wrong words, but that words betray what is going on in the heart:
Despite the obvious miracles happening in front of them, the Pharisees want a "sign"... they want to be the judges over Jesus.
Putting yourself as a judge over Jesus, picking and choosing which bits of his work and his teaching you will agree with and not agree with is a dangerous thing to do.
Jesus makes clear that the sign they are after will not be what they are expecting.
Putting yourself as a judge over Jesus, picking and choosing which bits of his work and his teaching you will agree with and not agree with is a dangerous thing to do.
Jesus makes clear that the sign they are after will not be what they are expecting.
The ultimate sign of Jesus' authority will be, and is, his victory over death.
For those worried about 3 days and three nights:
As we count time, three days and three nights points inexorably to three periods of twenty-four hours each; we thus have a problem with the use of this expression for the time between Jesus' death and resurrection: the period from toward the middle of the day on Friday (when he was crucified) to early on Sunday morning (when he was seen alive) comes short of what we understand by three days and three nights. But the Jews did not reckon as we do: they counted the day on which any period began as one day, and they did the same with the day on which the period ended. Thus we have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, three days; it does not matter that neither the Friday nor the Sunday was complete. According to the method of counting in use at the time, this is the period during which Jesus would be in the heart of the earth. Matthew elsewhere speaks of Jesus as rising “on the third day” (16:21) and “after three days” (27:63); there is no reason to think that he sees any difference between these expressions. However we understand it in detail, the expression indicates that after the crucifixion Jesus will be three days in the tomb.
- (Pillar New Testament Commentary)
For those worried about 3 days and three nights:
As we count time, three days and three nights points inexorably to three periods of twenty-four hours each; we thus have a problem with the use of this expression for the time between Jesus' death and resurrection: the period from toward the middle of the day on Friday (when he was crucified) to early on Sunday morning (when he was seen alive) comes short of what we understand by three days and three nights. But the Jews did not reckon as we do: they counted the day on which any period began as one day, and they did the same with the day on which the period ended. Thus we have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, three days; it does not matter that neither the Friday nor the Sunday was complete. According to the method of counting in use at the time, this is the period during which Jesus would be in the heart of the earth. Matthew elsewhere speaks of Jesus as rising “on the third day” (16:21) and “after three days” (27:63); there is no reason to think that he sees any difference between these expressions. However we understand it in detail, the expression indicates that after the crucifixion Jesus will be three days in the tomb.
- (Pillar New Testament Commentary)
The people of Nineveh (who were Gentiles) repented when their sin was pointed out...
Will we be honest about the parts of our lives that are not centred on Jesus or will we cover them up?
Will we be honest about the parts of our lives that are not centred on Jesus or will we cover them up?
Jesus now tells the story of a person momentarily freed from an impure spirit, who uses the opportunity for some "self help", to sweep clean their internal world and put it in order.
We live in a world that continually tells us to seek magical moments and that self help is our answer
We live in a world that continually tells us to seek magical moments and that self help is our answer
When Jesus announces "something greater than Solomon is here," after announcing earlier that "something greater than the temple is here" and "something greater than Jonah is here", he is announcing that he is greater than priests, prophets and kings.
Jesus is announcing that all of Israel's story is coming to fulfilment in him.
Jesus is announcing that all of Israel's story is coming to fulfilment in him.
All of us have deficits, deep needs at the core of our beings that can set the agenda of our lives... we can unconsciously work to fill the voids in different ways... but it never works unless the void is filled through Jesus.
Each of us has a "thorn in the flesh" that no momentary mountaintop or self help strategy will fill, and our attempts to fill the void open us to the demonic forces of evil.
Each of us has a "thorn in the flesh" that no momentary mountaintop or self help strategy will fill, and our attempts to fill the void open us to the demonic forces of evil.
How is it possible to keep Jesus at the centre of your life when the world is continually telling you to put you and your deficits at the centre?
By being part of a new family.
By being part of a new family.
This new family is defined simply by doing the will of God rather than being driven by unmet personal needs.
The kind of fellowship at the heart of this family is the kind of fellowship that asks real questions about what agenda is running your life.
You need a Kingdom Cell, but you need one where the questions "How are you really going?" and "How are you really going with Jesus?" are always on the table.
Who is Jesus in your life?
Who in your life knows the answer to that question?
The kind of fellowship at the heart of this family is the kind of fellowship that asks real questions about what agenda is running your life.
You need a Kingdom Cell, but you need one where the questions "How are you really going?" and "How are you really going with Jesus?" are always on the table.
Who is Jesus in your life?
Who in your life knows the answer to that question?
Small Group questions:
1) Have someone read Isaiah 42:1-9 and talk about how this passage affects how you see Jesus
2) Matt explained that the 'unforgivable sin' is calling the Spirit's work evil, and that is more than accidentally saying something. Have you ever been worried about this? How do you respond to Matt's explanation?
3)In declaring himself greater than the temple, Jonah and Solomon, Jesus is saying that the whole of Israel's story is coming to fulfilment in him. Is there a danger we can take Jesus too lightly?
4) In declaring that a momentary experience, or working on yourself, will not free you from evil, Jesus makes clear that the only path to lasting freedom is through him. Have there been times when momentary experiences or self help strategies have been to big a focus for you? or for a church you have been part of?
5) Jesus makes clear there is a new kind of family based on the Kingdom of God... What does it mean for this to be a lived reality in your life? What importance do you place on this new family?
1) Have someone read Isaiah 42:1-9 and talk about how this passage affects how you see Jesus
2) Matt explained that the 'unforgivable sin' is calling the Spirit's work evil, and that is more than accidentally saying something. Have you ever been worried about this? How do you respond to Matt's explanation?
3)In declaring himself greater than the temple, Jonah and Solomon, Jesus is saying that the whole of Israel's story is coming to fulfilment in him. Is there a danger we can take Jesus too lightly?
4) In declaring that a momentary experience, or working on yourself, will not free you from evil, Jesus makes clear that the only path to lasting freedom is through him. Have there been times when momentary experiences or self help strategies have been to big a focus for you? or for a church you have been part of?
5) Jesus makes clear there is a new kind of family based on the Kingdom of God... What does it mean for this to be a lived reality in your life? What importance do you place on this new family?