FBC Beaumont

Matthew 22 ends with Jesus giving one last word to the challenges of His enemies. His final word is about His credentials as fully man and fully God. Using the most quoted Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 110, Jesus challenges His challengers with the duality of nature as the divine messiah.

As a last-ditch effort to discredit Jesus the religious leaders of the day asked a question that was so highly debated that most would have assumed there wasn't an answer. in the hopes of setting an achievable standard, the religious leaders attempted to grade the commands of God so they could keep what they credited as the "most important" Laws. It is only upon asking Jesus, which is the greatest...

Jesus recognizes the devious intent and foolish question of the Sadducees. He responds to their outlandish story by affirming Holy Scripture, the power of God and the reality of the resurrection. Jesus’ teaching amazes His listeners by His authority and grasp of divine truth.

In Matthew 22:15-22 Jesus is tested by religious and political leaders who plan to trap and discredit Him. Though their snare is well set, their trap is limited by their poor understanding of God and His Kingdom (Matthew 15:14; 23:27). Jesus’ response is believed by many to be, “the single most influential political statement ever made in the history of the world.”

Our Lord had spoken the previous parables of the sons and the vineyard (Matthew 21:28-44) to the Jewish leaders who had failed in their responsibility as the spiritual shepherds of Israel. In the Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matt. 22:1-14), Jesus speaks of the privilege that noteworthy guests will enjoy when they accept Him as King and dine with Him in great celebration. Only those who are prope...

Matthew 21 is about one theme: The entry of the promised Son of David into Jerusalem. After Jesus gives three signs of the type of problems He came to solve in the Holy City, He gives three parables about the judgement of the current leadership of Israel. That generation of Israelite shepherds have rejected Him fully, and they are about to be fired. The kingdom then would be given to “the afflicte...

Upon first entering Jerusalem on the last 8 days of His life, Jesus gives three signs of the type of problems He came to solve. After confronting Israel’s spiritual blindness (triumphal entry) and Israel’s inward corruption (cleansing the Temple), Jesus confronts Israel’s outward fruitlessness (cursing the fig tree). The cursed fig tree represents His judgement of fruitless Israel and stands a con...

Matthew 21:12-17 describes a significant event in the life of Jesus, highlighting His authority and mission. These verses underscore Jesus’ authority over the temple, His supernatural ability to heal, and the recognition of His messianic identity. At the same time, it highlights the tension between Jesus and the self-appointed religious leaders of the day. Throughout this text, Jesus demonstrates...

Matthew 21:12-17 describes a significant event in the life of Jesus, highlighting His authority and mission. These verses underscore Jesus’ authority over the temple, His supernatural ability to heal, and the recognition of His messianic identity. At the same time, it highlights the tension between Jesus and the self-appointed religious leaders of the day. Throughout this text, Jesus demonstrates...

In an entrance fit for this King, the misnamed “triumphal entry” displays both the humble and prophetic nature of Christ’s kingdom. While the Israelites remain spiritually blind to the significance of the passion week, this ironic event gives a teachable contrast for future generations of followers of the King Jesus.

Jesus illustrates the salvation He brings and the service He expects by healing two blind men who cry out to Him as Messiah.

In this third announcement of His cross, Jesus uses the request from John and James’ mom to reward her sons with special thrones as a teaching moment about the transformative power of serving. God reserves special rewards in the next life for those who practice the art of unselfish living in this life. Suffering and serving for the sake of others makes us very Christlike.

From the transformation of the heart springs forth the desire to be Christ-like, and the call of Christ in a believer's daily life is one of purpose and intention. The transformation of the heart leads to a desire to emulate Christ in speech and behavior. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently worked to address the physical and spiritual needs of those around Him. Are God’s glory and...

In training His disciples with the example of the rich young ruler, Jesus tells the man to sell all he had and follow Him. Seeing this exchange, Peter blurts out another foolish question, wondering out loud about the expected rewards for abandoning all to follow Jesus. The Lord takes this moment to talk to the twelve about rewards and follows His teaching on rewards with a pointed parable (20:1-16...

In the training of His 12 disciples, Jesus connects His discussion concerning the importance of marriage with the importance of reaching the next generation. God’s design is for the blessing of marriage to produce the blessing of children as a heritage of faith and faithfulness. This training revolves around five questions and the answers Christ gave, one implicit and four explicit questions. Jesu...

In the training of his 12 disciples Jesus turns from church problems to marriage problems as the proper soil to display the unconditional love God to a watching world. When we are hurt by our spouse and turn to faith and faithfulness instead of selfishness and divorce (marriage suicide), the marriage bond grows stronger and louder.

God used Nehemiah in tangible ways as he responded to God’s call and his burden for God’s reputation. Nehemiah’s cooperative work to rally the Israel to rebuild the wall and the gates of the city teaches us that the kingdom of God requires strategic vision to be followed by strategic action and strategic collaboration.

Nehemiah turned to God in prayer, anchored Israel’s problems in the promises and reputation of God, caught the strategic vision God provided, and then began to take strategic action to rebuild the ruined walls of Jerusalem. The first action he took was to go and assess the reality on the ground in Jerusalem. Nehemiah began by accepting life as if was, not as he would have it. We should approach mi...

After Nehemiah turns to God in prayer and anchors Israel’s problems in the promises and reputation of God, he then looks toward strategic vision and strategic action. Not only did Nehemiah pray for an opportunity, he planned for an opportunity. Nehemiah’s Vision teaches us that the kingdom of God ought to reshape our vision of what matters and that action follows intention.

The book of Nehemiah began by anchoring a vision of the future in the past (Neh. 1:1-3). But once the bad news of Jerusalem’s state of affairs was known, Nehemiah turns to God in prayer, anchoring Israel’s problems also to the promises and reputation of God. This section of the book teaches that nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer.

Jesus trains His 12 disciples in the next logical step in the process of seeking restoration during church discipline. When we are hurt by others in the family of God, this gives us an opportunity to display the deep experience we have had with our own forgiveness from God. In this last section of Matthew 18 Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the power of forgiveness in His Church.

Jesus takes His disciples’ training to the next level by addressing restoration of wayward believers. Without fail conflict and hurts will arise in any community of faith. This, of course, is the proper curriculum to learn forgiveness (next section). If such conflict is avoided or not handled properly, then the community of faith will not get to display the supernatural forgiveness the watching wo...

The Son of God intentionally leads His disciple from the mountain, to the valley, and then to the sea. Jesus uses this location as an opportunity to teach about ministry to the larger world and the humility that it requires. Spiritual greatness necessitates an attitude of childlike dependence on God whereby we serve others as a stepping stone not a stumbling stone.

The Son of God leads His disciple from the meeting with His Father to a meeting with another Father and demonized Son. Spiritual highs are often followed by spiritual lows. Jesus uses this contrast as an opportunity to teach about ministry, faith, power, and prayer.

As Jesus continues to train His disciples, God the Father gives Jesus and His twelve a tangible experience they can see and hear to strengthen them for the suffering that lies ahead of them all. The purpose of the transfiguration was definitive and multilayered. It was the Father’s way of strengthening His Son for that terrible ordeal of being the sacrifice for the sins of the world. The transfigu...