Hallelujah! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

The resurrection of the crucified Christ Jesus is the turning point of the New Testament and at the heart of the Christian faith. All of the gospel centers around the death of death. This passage in Matthew's gospel shows us that there are two reactions to this miraculous event. Fear is at the heart of the responses to the earthquake inducing resurrection.

1) The Roman guards trembled in fear like dead men.

2) The faithful women disciples were encouraged not to fear but to proclaim the resurrection to the male Apostles and to the world.

By faith the women received comfort amidst their fear. Through sinful skepticism, the Roman guards received the consequences of their unbelief.

Which way to you respond to the resurrection of the crucified Christ Jesus?

The gospels tell us of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas for several reasons. First that Jesus' death was necessary and the betrayal was a part of this end. But most importantly, Judas Iscariot's end is a warning to the Church. An apostle of Jesus Christ ... one of the twelve ... became apostate. Although Judas was destined to this end, it was prophesied by the Prophets that this would occur, he is still accountable. By his own will Judas became the friend of Satan and abandoned his friendship with his Lord Jesus. Evil merely begins with a thought. What are you thinking? Do you turn these thoughts toward Jesus? or to Satan?

Let's all ponder how valuable Jesus truly is. How do we view the suffering and sacrifice of our Lord ... for us ... because of our sin. This passage in Matthew's gospel shows us the beginning of Jesus' final days. There are two differing ideas about Jesus here. Some valued Jesus as nothing more than a political nuisance. Even his disciples were 'indignant' over an extravagant act of worship. But Mary saw the genuine sacrifice and suffering that Jesus was facing and she anointed HIM from head to toe.

The story of Jesus healing Peter's elderly mother-in-law depicts an illness not caused by a demon or by sin ... it is a showcase of what it means to be human ... the troubles of being an elderly woman. The gospels are clear that Jesus healed many ... too numerous to count. He also cast out demons and did many miraculous things. But the purpose of the signs and wonders were not an end in themselves. Jesus did not come merely to establish a healing ministry. All of these signs and wonders point to the participation in the perfection of heaven that only salvation can bring.

Today's sermon text reminds us that self-serving faith is not faith in Christ ... resulting in an eternal condemnation in the outer darkness.

"I tell you, many will come from east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." -- Matt 8:11-12 --

Jesus acknowledges the faith of a Gentile ... a Roman Centurion ... a Pagan outsider ... and honors his request to heal a favored servant. While the failures of human class and race structure hinder the universality of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus shows us in this encounter that race and class do not matter ... only the heart of faith. Jesus responds to the faith of the Centurion who recognized the proper order of authority between himself and Christ. How do you approach our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you acknowledge HIS divine authority? Do you recognize your own unworthiness?

Jesus has all authority to forgive, to heal, and to teach. How do you respond to Jesus? Are the words he speaks merely good advise? Do we see HIS words only as that ... words? Or are we astonished?

At the heart of the story of two men who build two houses is the genuine reconciliation of the sinner with the Father in Heaven. How one approaches the offer of forgiveness and a new life in Christ is the lesson from Jesus' Parable. The genuine Christian and False Christian are portrayed side-by-side in this concluding parable from Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.

Loving God and loving his commandments are the genuine signs of a genuine Christian. The foundation is in the love of Christ. It is the love of the Father on which the genuine Christian depends. Jesus will establish this foundation and the wise Christian will build upon this foundation ... not his own.

Today's sermon text reminds us that the work of God's will involves humility and sacrificial service. Whereas the mighty works of the prideful are not of God's will but man's will. [Matt 7:21-23]

The eternal battle from the curse at the Garden of Eden is at odds with the Heavenly Kingdom that Jesus establishes. Jesus wants to protect his Church from the punishment that waits for the devil & his angels. Let's remember that just because a 'Man of God' is eloquent and charming does not mean that the words from his mouth are of God.

We are responsible to know the difference between the sweet & good fruit of Christ and the horribly bad & rotten fruit of the serpent. The path of truth is narrow & difficult. The path of destruction is wide & easy.