Four Points Church

Our text begins quite symbolically with the dawn of a new day. This first day of the week would come to be known as the “Lord’s Day” where Christians would gather in the name of Jesus for the next two thousand years and counting (John 20:1; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). This new day of worship is significant in at least two ways. First, death has always been an enemy to humanity. Second, there is incredible hope for the believer, not only for eternity, but also in this life now. It does not matter what trials or sufferings you face. What matters is that you know Jesus will bring you through them and you will be stronger on the other side. This is our hope in this life, as well as in eternity.

This text is the pinnacle of Matthew’s gospel. In fact, the crucifixion (and resurrection) of Jesus is the apex of the Bible and all of Human History. Jesus came to lay his life down in the place of guilty sinners. All of Matthew has been building to this point and the events found in this passage. Jesus demonstrates to us how His death satisfies the tension between God’s Holiness and steadfast love towards His sinful people. Jesus traded places with us to satisfy the debt that we owe but cannot pay. Everything that Jesus endured during these dark moments in history should have been given to us. But praise be to God that Jesus took our place!

During the time of Jesus, Israel was under Roman control. When Rome conquered a territory, they would always send a Roman official to serve as governor of that area. Pontius Pilate was that official. However, Israel was not a prestigious appointment. History tells us that Pilate served there for 11 years, which was much longer than any of the governors before or after him. This means that Pilate wasn’t that great of a governor and couldn’t get promoted to a better post. He provoked the Jews in numerous ways that led to numerous insurrections and a great deal of social unrest. He would steal from the temple treasury to pay for his building projects and even allowed the Romans to worship Caesar in front of the temple. Pilate’s career ended when he was eventually fired and banned from government work by the Roman Emperor Caligula.

Jesus and His disciples end their final Passover meal with singing. This was common practice in Judaism during the first century. The Jewish hymnbook was the Psalms. Psalms 113-118 were known as the “Hallel” or “praise psalms” and traditionally sung at Passover. If Jesus followed the custom, Psalm 118 would be the hymn that was sung in this text. Jesus then took His disciples to the Mount of Olives. Once there He laid another bitter truth on the disciples. He told them, “they would all fall away this very night” (vs. 31). Peter becomes the focus of their prophesied failure, but “all” the disciples claim their loyalty, and they “all” fail their Lord (vs. 56). Jesus took His inner circle, Peter, James, and John, into a garden to pray.

It is the time of the Passover celebration.  This is a significant festival within Judaism that lasts an entire week and consists of two meaningful events.  The first is the Passover meal.  This meal occurs in one evening and commemorates God’s provision of the paschal lamb.  The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts of the Israelite homes.  The death angel saw the blood and then “passed over” their homes thereby saving their families from God’s wrath (Exodus 12:1-13).  Next, the feast of unleavened bread begins and lasts the remainder of the week.  This extended celebration commemorates the Israelites freedom from their slavery in Egypt (Exodus 13:1-10). It is very significant that the betrayal, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus begins during the onset of these feasts.  It will be made known throughout the entire church age that the blood of Jesus saves us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9-11) and also frees us from the bondage of our sin (Romans 6:18).

Last week we finished the Olivet Discourse, the final section of Jesus’ teaching in the book of Matthew. This week, we begin the Passion Narrative, the story of how Jesus willingly offers Himself for those he came to save. In this passage, Matthew gives us four brief scenes which build on one another towards the crucifixion, which is to come.

Chapter 25 begins with two parables. Parables are an ancient way of making one or two points, but are not meant to be taken literally line or line. This final section of the last sermon of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is sometimes presented in a way that promotes worldwide evangelization. However, this view is only one hundred years old. Worldwide evangelization is seen in Matthew 28 and is clearly realized as making disciples of all the nations. This last parable shows us the way we should act toward fellow believers.

The disciples have asked Jesus some very important questions about the destruction of the temple. Many argue that the temple mentioned in this text is in fact a new temple that will be built in Jerusalem at some point in the future. However, the evidence from the text suggests that the temple that is destroyed is in fact the same temple the disciples have seen (Matt. 24:1). Jesus answers His disciples questions with detail and compassion. He is not trying to confuse them or inundate them with esoteric information. Instead, Jesus speaks to promote obedience and faith that His disciples will need in a very disturbing time they will experience. A time when Jesus won’t be there with them in physical form. You will see and recognize the compassion of Jesus for His disciples throughout this text.

Since chapter 21, we have seen Jesus performing His ministry within the temple in Jerusalem. The temple that Jesus ministered in is known as Herod’s temple and is actually considered the 3rd temple to have existed. The first temple was built by Solomon and was glorious and adorned with gold and precious jewels. However, this temple was destroyed by Babylon in 587 BC. The second temple, known as Zerubbabel’s temple, was completed around 516 BC. This temple fell greatly beneath the glory of Solomon’s temple. Through a political act to achieve favor with the Jews, Herod the Great began to remodel the second temple around 19 BC. This renovated third temple was the temple in which Jesus ministered.

After successfully defending His ministry three times, Jesus now turns to the crowds and His disciples to teach them.  It must be understood that the religious leaders have not suddenly disappeared.  They are there to hear these scathing judgments from Jesus.  However, Jesus doesn’t refer to them personally.  He is shepherding His people.  The scribes and pharisees do not belong among that number as Jesus points out in seven distinct woes, or judgments, against them.  The main theme in the first 13 verses is what Jesus identifies as the disease and its cure.  The disease is pride.  The cure is humility.