Big Idea - Jesus is going to the cross, and the Gospel makes it so clear that it is by His own doing. Jesus will lay down His life for us. In this parable, Jesus tells the leaders indirectly, that they have rejected Him and will put Him to death. Jesus knows their plan better than they do. Killing Jesus is no small thing - it is the ultimate rejection of God Himself. We know how we would respond to rejection and even the leaders of Israel waste no time calling down the most severe punishment on the rebellious farmers in the parable. But, how does God respond to all-out rejection?

The amazing thing is God’s incredible patience in dealing with those who have rejected Him. He does not respond with instant wrath. He is patient, giving every chance for people to change. But, in the end, He will destroy those who reject Jesus, His son. At the same time, it is by means of this very rejection and death of His Son that God works out His saving plan for those who turn to Him in faith. God will take the Kingdom away from Israel, who did not give Him the fruit of gratitude and obedience, and He will give it to a new people - those who honor the Son and follow Him in faith!

Big Idea - Jesus is going to the cross, and the Gospel makes it so clear that it is by His own doing. Jesus will lay down His life for us. In this parable, Jesus tells the leaders indirectly, that they have rejected Him and will put Him to death. Jesus knows their plan better than they do. Killing Jesus is no small thing - it is the ultimate rejection of God Himself. We know how we would respond to rejection and even the leaders of Israel waste no time calling down the most severe punishment on the rebellious farmers in the parable. But, how does God respond to all-out rejection?

The amazing thing is God’s incredible patience in dealing with those who have rejected Him. He does not respond with instant wrath. He is patient, giving every chance for people to change. But, in the end, He will destroy those who reject Jesus, His son. At the same time, it is by means of this very rejection and death of His Son that God works out His saving plan for those who turn to Him in faith. God will take the Kingdom away from Israel, who did not give Him the fruit of gratitude and obedience, and He will give it to a new people - those who honor the Son and follow Him in faith!

Big Idea - Jesus has come to Jerusalem in a very visible way, and taking action in ways that are very Messianic - entering Jerusalem as King coming in peace, and chasing the merchants out of the Temple, and receiving praise that belongs to God. Those in charge of the Temple, the Chief Priests and the Elders, are threatened by Jesus’ claim of authority. They are in charge of the Temple and the people, who is Jesus that would usurp their authority? So, they question Jesus in the Temple seeking to know by what authority Jesus is doing all these things? But, do they really want to know the answer? If Jesus is the Messiah, then He has received authority, not from man but from God. If that is truly the case, are the leaders prepared to submit to His authority? Jesus’ response to their question, while not a direct answer, points to the real problem. The real question is this - if Jesus does receive His authority from God will the leaders submit to Him as King? They were not willing to accept the God-given authority of John, so they will not receive the authority of Jesus either, and this is proof that they are do not accept even the rule of God!

Big Idea - Jesus has come to Jerusalem in a very visible way, and taking action in ways that are very Messianic - entering Jerusalem as King coming in peace, and chasing the merchants out of the Temple, and receiving praise that belongs to God. Those in charge of the Temple, the Chief Priests and the Elders, are threatened by Jesus’ claim of authority. They are in charge of the Temple and the people, who is Jesus that would usurp their authority? So, they question Jesus in the Temple seeking to know by what authority Jesus is doing all these things? But, do they really want to know the answer? If Jesus is the Messiah, then He has received authority, not from man but from God. If that is truly the case, are the leaders prepared to submit to His authority? Jesus’ response to their question, while not a direct answer, points to the real problem. The real question is this - if Jesus does receive His authority from God will the leaders submit to Him as King? They were not willing to accept the God-given authority of John, so they will not receive the authority of Jesus either, and this is proof that they are do not accept even the rule of God!

Big Idea - Jesus makes a remarkable promise that if we ask in faith, we will receive "whatever" we ask for in prayer. That is an astonishing promise, but most Christians have tried it and found that it doesn't really seem to work, not all the time, or maybe we even feel most of the time. Why doesn't it work? What are we doing wrong? If Jesus is really the Son of God, we cannot doubt His word - the promise is 100% true. So, why doesn't it seem to work? Why doesn't God seem to give us whatever we ask for?

The problem cannot be with the promise - the promise is true. Since it is true, we must conclude that Jesus intended His disciples and us to be accomplishing impossible things through prayer. The Christian life is to have a significant measure of the impossible if not the outright supernatural. The primary condition to success is that we pray believing. That we have faith without doubt. So, the problem is most likely to be found in the area of our faith.

Big Idea - Jesus makes a remarkable promise that if we ask in faith, we will receive "whatever" we ask for in prayer. That is an astonishing promise, but most Christians have tried it and found that it doesn't really seem to work, not all the time, or maybe we even feel most of the time. Why doesn't it work? What are we doing wrong? If Jesus is really the Son of God, we cannot doubt His word - the promise is 100% true. So, why doesn't it seem to work? Why doesn't God seem to give us whatever we ask for?

The problem cannot be with the promise - the promise is true. Since it is true, we must conclude that Jesus intended His disciples and us to be accomplishing impossible things through prayer. The Christian life is to have a significant measure of the impossible if not the outright supernatural. The primary condition to success is that we pray believing. That we have faith without doubt. So, the problem is most likely to be found in the area of our faith.

Big Idea - Jesus’ actions in the Temple chasing out the money changers and those buying and selling are dramatic and may even seem a bit over the top. How are we to think about the intense actions and even anger that Jesus seems to display here? And more importantly what is the meaning of what Jesus does? He is clearly making a point by what He does, but what exactly is the point?

The possible options for what Jesus’ actions in the Temple mean are many and it is likely that what Jesus did had symbolic meaning at many levels. Jesus was showing that He had ultimate authority over the Temple because He was the Messiah. His intense reaction and even anger remind us that He is both a loving savior and a righteous judge, and His righteous response to sin is one of anger and judgment and His actions certainly point toward the coming judgment of Israel and the destruction of the Temple. But most importantly, Jesus' actions show that one greater than the Temple has come who will make the Temple and the entire sacrificial system obsolete. The Temple was to be a house of prayer, a place where all, even Gentiles and the lame (unclean) could seek and find God. More than that could enter into His presence. But, a man-made Temple, the blood of animals, and a sinful priesthood were inadequate to such a task. But, one greater than the Temple has come! By His blood, all who believe have access to the very throne of heaven and can find cleansing and healing there. That it is right for Jesus to receive the praise belonging to God alone is proof that He is the Messiah who does in fact replace the Temple.

Big Idea - Jesus’ actions in the Temple chasing out the money changers and those buying and selling are dramatic and may even seem a bit over the top. How are we to think about the intense actions and even anger that Jesus seems to display here? And more importantly what is the meaning of what Jesus does? He is clearly making a point by what He does, but what exactly is the point?

The possible options for what Jesus’ actions in the Temple mean are many and it is likely that what Jesus did had symbolic meaning at many levels. Jesus was showing that He had ultimate authority over the Temple because He was the Messiah. His intense reaction and even anger remind us that He is both a loving savior and a righteous judge, and His righteous response to sin is one of anger and judgment and His actions certainly point toward the coming judgment of Israel and the destruction of the Temple. But most importantly, Jesus' actions show that one greater than the Temple has come who will make the Temple and the entire sacrificial system obsolete. The Temple was to be a house of prayer, a place where all, even Gentiles and the lame (unclean) could seek and find God. More than that could enter into His presence. But, a man-made Temple, the blood of animals, and a sinful priesthood were inadequate to such a task. But, one greater than the Temple has come! By His blood, all who believe have access to the very throne of heaven and can find cleansing and healing there. That it is right for Jesus to receive the praise belonging to God alone is proof that He is the Messiah who does in fact replace the Temple.

Big Idea - In Matthew 19-20, many different people are making all kinds of requests of Jesus. But it is only the two blind men who really know exactly what to ask for. How is their request different and what enabled them to ask for the best thing?

The blind men asked for mercy to have their eyes opened and that is really what they all should have been asking for - if not their physical eyes, certainly the eyes of understanding. The two blind men were able to ask for exactly the right kind of help because they knew their genuine need, and they knew they didn't deserve Jesus' help, but they trusted in His mercy. We would do well to follow their lead by asking Jesus to open our eyes, not because we have a right to His help, but because Jesus always meets the sincere cry for mercy with compassion and real help. Specifically, we need to ask Jesus to open our eyes 1) to see our great need for Him, 2) to see and to know God's gracious love for us in Christ Jesus, and 3) to understand what is the true nature of His kingdom and what it means for us to follow Him as residents of the Kingdom of heaven.

Big Idea - In Matthew 19-20, many different people are making all kinds of requests of Jesus. But it is only the two blind men who really know exactly what to ask for. How is their request different and what enabled them to ask for the best thing?

The blind men asked for mercy to have their eyes opened and that is really what they all should have been asking for - if not their physical eyes, certainly the eyes of understanding. The two blind men were able to ask for exactly the right kind of help because they knew their genuine need, and they knew they didn't deserve Jesus' help, but they trusted in His mercy. We would do well to follow their lead by asking Jesus to open our eyes, not because we have a right to His help, but because Jesus always meets the sincere cry for mercy with compassion and real help. Specifically, we need to ask Jesus to open our eyes 1) to see our great need for Him, 2) to see and to know God's gracious love for us in Christ Jesus, and 3) to understand what is the true nature of His kingdom and what it means for us to follow Him as residents of the Kingdom of heaven.