Perhaps there is no more infamous betrayel than the one before us today. The term, "the Judas kiss" has become synonymous with despicable, traitorous actions. We learned in previous studies that Judas had made arrangements in advance in exchange for money. He knew where Jesus would be praying that evening and led the "great multitude" to Gethsemane. The events that took place there are not what we would expect...unless we remember Jesus' purpose.

Dr. Timothy Gombis (Associate Professor of New Testamet at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary) preaches from Philippians 2 and 3 about Paul's Radical Reversal.

Once a year we take a Sunday to highlight the ministries of our church and take some time to consider where we might best serve the King for His Kingdom. We have learned from our study in Matthew that serving equals greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have learned that even Jesus took on the form of a servant and that He did not come to be served but to serve.

The church in Corinth had a hard time dealing with the diversity among God's servants. Thankfully the Holy Spirit preserved the instructions!

The text before us this morning is of incredible importance, from it we derive the beginning of what we call "the Eucharist," "Communion," or "The Lord's Table." Those who participate in this ordinance with a tender heart and ears to hear will strengthen their faith and their love for the Lord Jesus will grow. Jesus is the Passover Lamb that took away the sins of the world.

The contrasts in this text are understated but as profound as any contrast of any literature. There is love and hate, death and life, compassion and agitation.

Matthew "turns the corner" in this chapter and takes us down the road to the cross and resurrection. There is much to learn in these rich texts. May the Lord help us to see all He intends for us in these chapters.

This text comprises the conclusion of the Olivet Discourse. In response to the questions of the disciples about details of the "end times," Jesus described in broad strokes what we could expect. We have learned that He is returning, that the world will be very different when He does and that we should be prepared and faithful while we wait. Jesus' conclusion is both comforting and sobering for eternal blessings or eternal torment await every individual. The final judgment will include a test for evidence — it will not be as radical as some think.

We are in another chapter of Kingdom stories. These stories were not told for their entertainment value, they were told to make a point about how we are to live in this world while we wait for the Second Coming of the King. Watching and waiting does not mean an absence of working. The managers in our text today were occupied in the absence of the master. There's a lesson for us here today.

Weddings are often a time of great joy and excitement. While the customs and traditions change over the years from country to country there are similarities to which most of us can relate. As Jesus prepared His disciples for His physical absence, He used a series of stories to illustrate the importance of being prepared for His return. One of those stories is before us this morning. It is the story of a wedding and the saga of ten bridesmaids — some that were prepared and some that were not.

While every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the tradition of taking one day a year and setting it aside for this remembrance is not wrong. In fact, bringing this event to the "front and center" of our thinking is a worthy action. Everything in the Christian faith rises or falls on the resurrection. Paul wrote that if Christ is not risen our faith is in vain and we are, of all the people on the earth — the most miserable!

This morning we're going to re-visit the text of the disappointed couple that we read about last week. Their story didn't end with disappointment, will yours?