During the final week before the crucifixion, Jesus has triumphantly entered Jerusalem, overturned tables in the temple and had a series of conflicts with the religious leaders who were looking to trap, humiliate, and discredit Him. After declaring a series of “woes” upon them, He now leaves the temple and Jerusalem and teaches His disciples on the Mount of Olives about near and far prophetic events.

For many people in Jesus’ day, He didn’t do what they expected. People's expectations – then and now – are often the result of some form of misorientation. Today, let’s consider our propensity to drift offtrack and hear Jesus’ invitation to reorient our lives.

Jesus, the humble King, enters Jerusalem and stirs up the city, leading to moments of celebration and moments of confrontation. As Jesus’ motives and mission become evident, we too must decide whether we will receive or reject the revealed King. 

As Jesus continues to disciple the disciples, He teaches them (and us) what He desires for His followers in attitude and action. We will focus most of our time on God’s desire and design for marriage. 

As Jesus continues to disciple the disciples, He teaches them (and us) what is expected of His followers as we live and interact with one another. As we have been asking the last few weeks, do our expectations align with Jesus' expectations for what it means to follow Him?

Jesus begins deliberately and methodically teaching His disciples, and us, that He must suffer, die, and rise again in order to fulfill His role as the Messiah. Our expectations of Jesus and what it means to follow Him need to line up with that reality.

Jesus continues to reveal His identity through authoritative teaching and miraculous signs. The crowds, religious leaders and His disciples continue to respond in diverse ways but now their expectations of Him become even more evident.

Today brings us to the end of another major section in Matthew's gospel. Jesus has demonstrated His power and authority through His teaching and healing ministry. We have seen diverse responses to Him from the crowds, His disciples, and the religious leaders. Today, Jesus helps us better understand those diverse responses through 8 parables.

Through the book of Matthew, Jesus validates his authority as King through miracles and teaching about the nature of His Kingdom. Today is a pivot point in the ministry of Jesus as people respond to Him in diverse ways. Just as we see so many doing today.

Jesus has completed His ministry preparation (1:1-4:17), preached the Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:27), and demonstrated His authority through His miracles (8:1-9:35). Now Jesus commissions and instructs the twelve disciples as He sends them out on mission.