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Jesus as Number One (Matthew 8:18-22)
“Jesus as Number One”
(Matthew 8:18-22)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
March 10, 2019
The Passage
Read Matthew 8:18-22
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 “Lord,” another of his disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Introductory Comments:
Illustration: A lot of young men (and some middle-aged men) dream about becoming Navy Seals some day. The Navy Seals are some of the most elite warriors on the face of the planet. You know, there’s a reason why not everyone is a Navy Seal. It takes a tremendous commitment to become a Navy Seal. A young man can’t just hop up off of the couch after playing video games and eating Doritos, and get pinned with the Navy Seal pin. He has to put in the sacrifice; he has to live by different standards. It costs something to become a seal.
Today we’re continuing our series in Matthew and Jesus is on the move ministering to people.
Matthew is going to tell us today about two short conversations that Jesus had with two men who wanted to follow Him. Jesus will tell them that it takes sacrifice and it will involve them living by different standards.
Let’s pray together as we look at Matthew 8:18-22.
(Prayer)
Look with me if you will at your Bible and notice verse 18.
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.
When we were on a trip to Israel last Fall the tour guide would always tell us that when the Bible says Jesus crossed over to the other side of the sea, it meant that he would go to “the other side.”
What’s happening here is that Jesus is leaving Jewish territory and going into Gentile territory.
Part of the reason is that He is escaping the crowds that are gathering around Him.
However, Jesus also has ministry to do in Gentile territory.
So, as He’s getting ready to leave to cross the Sea of Galilee, these two men speak up and say that they want to follow Him.
Jesus responds to their requests. From these encounters, we’re going to learn two aspects of what it means to follow Jesus.
The first aspect of following Jesus that we are to learn is . . .
I. Following Jesus requires uncommonsacrifice (18-20) [on screen]
Look at verses 18-20.
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
As Jesus is preparing to leave, this scribe says he will follow Jesus wherever Jesus goes.
A scribe would have been a teacher of the law. He’s somebody that would have been knowledgeable and useful to Jesus and His ministry.
The man had skill and he seemed eager. He would have been just the right disciple for Jesus to have.
Despite the man’s skill and eagerness, Jesus seemed to want to talk him out of following Him.
Jesus said foxes can sleep in dens, birds can sleep in nests, but I have no idea each night where I’m going go to lay my head.
Now, why does this matter to the scribe? It matters to the scribe because if he follows Jesus he may not have any place to lay his head!
Jesus is basically saying, “If you follow me you will have to sacrifice something! Life may not be comfortable for you. You may not have all of the things that are common to everyone else. Following me requires uncommon sacrifice.”
Jesus wanted to make sure that the scribe understood what it meant
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By First Baptist Church Bartow
5
22 ratings
“Jesus as Number One”
(Matthew 8:18-22)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
March 10, 2019
The Passage
Read Matthew 8:18-22
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
21 “Lord,” another of his disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Introductory Comments:
Illustration: A lot of young men (and some middle-aged men) dream about becoming Navy Seals some day. The Navy Seals are some of the most elite warriors on the face of the planet. You know, there’s a reason why not everyone is a Navy Seal. It takes a tremendous commitment to become a Navy Seal. A young man can’t just hop up off of the couch after playing video games and eating Doritos, and get pinned with the Navy Seal pin. He has to put in the sacrifice; he has to live by different standards. It costs something to become a seal.
Today we’re continuing our series in Matthew and Jesus is on the move ministering to people.
Matthew is going to tell us today about two short conversations that Jesus had with two men who wanted to follow Him. Jesus will tell them that it takes sacrifice and it will involve them living by different standards.
Let’s pray together as we look at Matthew 8:18-22.
(Prayer)
Look with me if you will at your Bible and notice verse 18.
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.
When we were on a trip to Israel last Fall the tour guide would always tell us that when the Bible says Jesus crossed over to the other side of the sea, it meant that he would go to “the other side.”
What’s happening here is that Jesus is leaving Jewish territory and going into Gentile territory.
Part of the reason is that He is escaping the crowds that are gathering around Him.
However, Jesus also has ministry to do in Gentile territory.
So, as He’s getting ready to leave to cross the Sea of Galilee, these two men speak up and say that they want to follow Him.
Jesus responds to their requests. From these encounters, we’re going to learn two aspects of what it means to follow Jesus.
The first aspect of following Jesus that we are to learn is . . .
I. Following Jesus requires uncommonsacrifice (18-20) [on screen]
Look at verses 18-20.
18 When Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to go to the other side of the sea. 19 A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
As Jesus is preparing to leave, this scribe says he will follow Jesus wherever Jesus goes.
A scribe would have been a teacher of the law. He’s somebody that would have been knowledgeable and useful to Jesus and His ministry.
The man had skill and he seemed eager. He would have been just the right disciple for Jesus to have.
Despite the man’s skill and eagerness, Jesus seemed to want to talk him out of following Him.
Jesus said foxes can sleep in dens, birds can sleep in nests, but I have no idea each night where I’m going go to lay my head.
Now, why does this matter to the scribe? It matters to the scribe because if he follows Jesus he may not have any place to lay his head!
Jesus is basically saying, “If you follow me you will have to sacrifice something! Life may not be comfortable for you. You may not have all of the things that are common to everyone else. Following me requires uncommon sacrifice.”
Jesus wanted to make sure that the scribe understood what it meant