Sermon by Neil Earle
Matthew 12:6: "I tell you that one greater than the temple is here."
The cornerstone of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ. There is something different about this man Jesus. The Jews had teachers and prophets before Jesus. The prophets were extraordinary messengers of God. From the beginning Jesus takes on the characteristics of being so human and so much like one of us and yet He is so different. He was a much greater prophet than anyone had thought. He was the Son of God and also the Son of man.
Matthew 3:13-17: "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Jesus was just not another prophet but He was indeed as they said very God of very God, begotten not made but of one substance with the Father and begotten of the Father at all times.
Matthew 4:1: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."
God is beyond our comprehension. On one hand Jesus was like all the people around Him. His family history they knew. He was from the hill country of Galilee. There was nothing special about that. His kin folk some of them knew. Jesus also followed the crowds to hear John the Baptist speak. He also was the target of criticism and misunderstanding. He never told anyone that He was different. At the same time something about Him began to provoke the question of who is this man. They were stunned to see Him calm the waves and the wind. They said what manner of man is this. He was treated by His disciples as a Rabbi and by the crowds as a prophet and by His own family as a little bit mad. He told His disciples to follow Him and He will make them fishers of men. He was thought also to be a healer. As He went along He performed wonderful miracles. He connected His healings with His teachings. He told them the kingdom of God was among them right now. He had authority to forgive sins. He spoke with the power of God. He was a master teacher and spoke with authority. He said the children were models of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 11:1-6,11-13,20-30: "After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Jesus was different. He was more than a prophet. God was working out His ultimate plan through His Son.
Matthew 12:1-12,28,46-50: "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, 'Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.' He answered, 'Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' He said to them, 'If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.' While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.' He replied to him, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'"
These are some striking statements in connection with the traditional religion of Judaism. The kingdom of God is already here.
Sermon summary prepared by local Glendora church member Charlie Schreiner.