Rev. Dan Speckhard, pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Godfrey, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 21:23-46.

Jesus’ authority has been on clear display at the beginning of Holy Week, and the chief priests and elders are quick to challenge Him. Jesus’ question in return only escalates the matter of authority. If these religious leaders had been exercising true authority, they either would have believed in John as a teacher from God, or they would have rejected him outright as a liar. Their failure to do either shows that the only authority they have comes from their manipulation of the crowds. Jesus refuses to answer to such false authority and launches into two parables against them. The first parable exposes these religious leaders who have aligned themselves against God’s will because they rejected John and Jesus. This contrasts with the tax collectors and prostitutes, whose lives had first rejected God’s will but now have aligned themselves with God’s will by believing the preaching of John and Jesus. The second parable highlights the religious leaders as those who have rejected God’s will by killing not only the prophets, but the very Son Himself, as they would do in only a few days. Yet not even this will frustrate God’s will, for by the death of His Son, He establishes Jesus, crucified and raised, as the cornerstone for all who are being saved.

Rev. Carl Roth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 21:1-22.

The triumph of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday is not that of a conquering Roman emperor. Instead, He comes to conquer sin, death, and the devil by His own death on the cross. The donkey on which Jesus rides marks Him as the King greater than Solomon who has come in humility to serve sinners by giving His life in the place of theirs. The crowds rightly acclaim Him with shouts of “Hosanna” and praises from the Psalms, even if they do not fully grasp the truth they are proclaiming. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, He reveals Himself as King, Prophet, and Priest. He goes to the Temple, not merely to reform it, but to replace it as the once-for-all final sacrifice for sins. Though children believe and sing Jesus’ praises, those who should have recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament refuse to believe. Jesus gives a picture of the judgment that awaits them in the fruitless fig tree. He teaches His disciples that their ministry to the lost sheep of Israel will be effective in the same way as they rely on His promise.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. AJ Espinosa, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, CA and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 20:17-34.

For the third time, Jesus tells His disciples of His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Although Jesus goes into greater detail this time than the previous two, His disciples still fail to grasp what He means. Their conception of the Son of Man does not involve the suffering and death of which Jesus continually speaks. This becomes apparent as the mother of the sons of Zebedee asks Jesus that her sons, James and John, would be granted to sit at Jesus’ right and left when He comes in His kingdom. Jesus tells them that they do not know their request; His cup to drink is the cup of God’s wrath for sinners. Though James and John will share in their Lord’s suffering, the places of glory for which they ask are not Jesus’ to grant. When the other disciples become indignant at James and John, Jesus teaches them all concerning true greatness in the kingdom of heaven. It is not what the world considers greatness; rather, it is the Son of Man who came to serve all sinners by giving His life in their place. The failure of the two disciples is contrasted with the faith of the two blind men. They truly and rightly see Jesus as the Son of David who has come to have mercy upon them and save them from their sin and its effects.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. David Vandercook, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in North Little Rock, AR and Shepherd of Peace Lutheran Church in Maumelle, AR, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 20:1-16.

Jesus tells a parable to illustrate His saying at the end of chapter 19: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Jesus’ parable does not illustrate sound business practices for a vineyard, but life in the kingdom of heaven. The master who calls workers to go into his vineyard throughout the day teaches us that God loves to give. He continually calls sinners into His kingdom completely by His grace. Salvation is only His to give; it is never something that sinners earn. The workers hired at the beginning of the day lost sight of this truth when they grumbled at the master giving the workers hired at the end of the day the same wage. This stands as a warning to Christians who would begin to think that their work has earned some sort of payout from God. He gives what is His freely through the death and resurrection of His Son. This stands as a warning to those who think they can earn God’s grace, but it also stands as a comfort for those who think they have fallen too far or that it is too late. God, in His grace, continues to call sinners into His kingdom.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 19:16-30.

A rich young man comes to Jesus acknowledging Him as a teacher and questioning Him about eternal life. The question becomes: “Will this rich young man believe the answer Jesus gives?” As Jesus engages the man, He calls him into a deeper understanding of Jesus’ identity not just as a Teacher, but as God Himself. Jesus first reminds the man of the commandments that deal with outward love toward the neighbor. When the man thinks he has kept these, Jesus goes to the matter of the heart. Jesus calls the man away from the idolatry of his possessions and instead tells the man to follow Him. The man’s refusal to forsake his idolatry becomes the occasion for Jesus to teach His disciples concerning the obstacle that wealth is to entering the kingdom of heaven. The only way anyone is saved is not by their own efforts, but solely by the grace of God. He has accomplished this in the twelve apostles, who are officeholders in Jesus’ kingdom; He has accomplished this in all His Christians, who by the power of the Holy Spirit willingly forsake the things of this life for the sake of the gift of eternal life.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Guttenberg, IA and St. Paul Lutheran Church in McGregor, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 19:1-15.

Jesus begins His journey south toward Jerusalem. On the east side of the Jordan River, the Pharisees confront Him to test Him concerning matters of marriage and divorce. Their approach to the Law is wrong from the start; they come at God’s Law looking for ways by which they can bend it and justify themselves by their outward behavior. Jesus does not play this game with the Pharisees. He calls them not to start with matters of casuistry in the outward civil Law, but rather to start with what God has done from the beginning. Jesus plainly states the good gift that God has given in marriage. God unites one man and one woman as one flesh for the rest of their lives. This good gift of God is where all conversation concerning marriage must start. That is true both for those who are married and those who are single; in either case, Jesus calls His people to receive God’s good gifts in the Gospel. This includes the gift of children, the fruit of the one flesh union of marriage. Throughout the text, Jesus is the One who fulfills God’s Law perfectly as the Bridegroom of His Church.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 18:21-35.

Peter probably thought he was being generous in suggesting forgiveness for his brother seven times. Jesus’ answer is far greater, teaching Peter and all His disciples of the boundless forgiveness of God. The parable Jesus tells highlights the forgiveness of the king. The first servant has racked up a debt that is unimaginable. When the king calls him to account, he begs for patience and promises to pay back everything. This is laughable, but the king in his compassion forgives the entire debt. Amazingly, this same servant goes out and demands repayment from a fellow servant of a debt that is minuscule compared to his own. When patience is begged, the first servant refuses to forgive. His lack of forgiveness shows that he thinks he can pay back the king for his debt, and so the king gives him what he desires by throwing him into jail. The entire parable is a picture of God’s forgiveness for us sinners. There is no way we can pay back the debt of our sin, but God in His compassion has given Christ to pay the debt completely. That forgiveness clothes us in the righteousness of Christ, in which we turn and forgive those who have sinned against us.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 18:1-20.

When Jesus teaches His disciples about greatness in the kingdom of heaven by placing a child in their midst, He turned upside down their expectations. In the ancient world, children were valued for the fact that they grew into adults. Jesus reverses such thoughts when it comes to the kingdom of heaven. To enter into the kingdom of heaven is to come as one entirely dependent upon Christ. Jesus values these little ones, and knows that sin would keep them out of the kingdom of heaven. All of Jesus’ disciples, therefore, must beware leading any little ones into sin or falling into sin themselves. The fire of hell is a reality that Jesus does not desire for anyone. Instead, as the Good Shepherd, He seeks after even one who is lost. Though we might scoff at such economics, Jesus values the one, and He calls His Church to the same type of love. His words concerning the brother who has sinned do not serve as a checklist to mark off, but a way to restore an erring brother to the flock of the Church.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 17:14-27.

As Jesus descends from His transfiguration, He is met by a man in need of His mercy. The man’s son is suffering physically due to demon possession. Although our modern world may ignore demonic affliction, God’s Word clearly teaches that Satan and his demons attack all that God does. They delight to afflict us spiritually and physically; God’s Word and prayer are the means by which our gracious Lord delivers to us the victory He has won. Even as Jesus laments His disciples’ lack of faith, He still delivers the boy from the demon by His powerful word. He instructs His disciples in their little faith, calling them to the faith like a mustard seed. Such faith may be small, but because it is focused on Christ and His promises, it receives the impossible that He does. Jesus points toward Himself as the One who does the impossible of saving us sinners in His death and resurrection, even as His disciples remained distressed by the saying. Jesus’ upcoming death and resurrection is the key to understanding the matter of the temple tax. Neither He, as the Son of God, nor His disciples, as sons of God, need to pay the temple tax, because its sacrificial system is being fulfilled by Jesus. His death and resurrection alone pay the price for the forgiveness and salvation of sinners.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Matthew 17:1-13.

Just as He had promised, Jesus begins to show His disciples the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. He takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain where He was transfigured before them. Just as the LORD had so often appeared to His people on a mountain in the Old Testament, so now He reveals Himself on a mountain in the New Testament. Jesus’ transfiguration reveals that He is truly God, of the same substance as the Father. Everything that Jesus does–His birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and return–He does as true God and true man. Even if we cannot comprehend this truth, we confess it. In well-intentioned misunderstanding, Peter interrupts the conversation Jesus was having with His prophets. The Father’s voice quickly interrupts Peter to point out the importance of listening to Jesus. The three disciples’ terror is only alleviated by Jesus’ human touch and the sight of Jesus only, the One who will die for their sins. Now is not the time for them to tell, but that time will come. Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, and though the scribes did not recognize him, the rejection he faced is a picture of the death that Jesus is about to accomplish in Jerusalem for the salvation of sinners.

“All Righteousness Fulfilled” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that digs into the Gospel according to St. Matthew. The first evangelist proclaims Jesus to Jews and Gentiles alike as the fulfillment of God’s saving words and acts throughout the Old Testament. As the Christ in the line of David and Abraham, Jesus is the promised King who comes to bring sinners from every nation to live under His gracious reign.