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November 4, 2021 8:00 am
And so even on the miles and those who crucified him were the words, the affirmation. This is the king of Israel. The charge against him. This is the king of Israel.
Throughout Matthew's gospel throughout. Fulfilled prophecy.
This is the king of Israel. Jesus is not just use the one and only promised king of Israel prophesied hundreds of years before his actual coming in today on the true pulpit pastor Don Greene will complete the portrait of our King and Savior, as detailed by the gospel writer Matthew hello again I go right.
Previously, we've seen the fact of Christ's kingship shown through this person is you and his ministry today. Don will add 1/4 point. Christ's death on the crucifixion of our Lord is really the focal point of all history isn't it. Yes, Bill, it really is the pivot point Scripture says that Christ is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. In other words, God planned the cross and directed human history to make sure that it would happen, friend only in the crucified and resurrected Christ. Can you find forgiveness of your sins.
And now here today God is silently directing all things for a final day of judgment for all men, for all time and only those in Christ will pass safely through we be one of them you belong to Christ come to him and be saved. Let's join Don now in the truthful we are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and we are in the presence of one of unspeakable majesty, unspeakable pedigree and unspeakable condescension. Why did this king not simply destroy the rebels who were around him.
Why did he not just destroy you and me in our sin and guilt like we were looking for him. What kind of King lays down his life for his people.
This is a reversal of order the king's rule in the subject's obey. Here's a king going underneath the subjects as it were, to serve them with his wife.
I love them, don't you, he's the king, and yet he came to serve came to serve in his first Advent came to serve the cross came to pay a ransom for his people. There's not adequate words of gratitude is not adequate words of worship that could exhaust the fullness of the majesty of what this gospel says about Jesus of Nazareth. You see when you recognize who Christ is, you begin to recognize that you owe him your life and it's not out of a legal obligation that you would respond to him.
That way you're so drawn to his Majesty so drawn to the grace the unmerited favor that a king would show to you that all you can do is respond to him with love and obedience.
This is Lord having save me.
What would you have me do, because Lord there is nothing too great that you could ask for me the authority of this prophetic king, the condescension of this gracious Savior was unlimited toward us and therefore in response as those who are now his people through faith in Christ. It's obvious it's the desire of the redeemed heart. This is Lord there would be no limits on what I would give to you in response in response to your unlimited gift of your life. I just want to respond with an unlimited sacrifice of my self and return no limits, no preconditions, just an abandonment of myself to follow after you for your inherent supreme worth.
Now Jesus's ministry. This is the end of the third point Jesus is entry into Jerusalem. Prior to his crucifixion. Fulfilled prophecy, Matthew 21 verse one when they approached Jerusalem and come to Bethphage at the Mount of olives.
Then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them going to the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there in the cold with her untied them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say the Lord has need of them and immediately he will send them first for here it is again, this took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your King is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, even on a cold the fall of a beast of burden is entry into Jerusalem fulfilled the prophet, the king had arrived, all in full of perfect fulfillment of prophecy the divine timetable spoken into existence. Let's say centuries before. In the Old Testament was now in full operation. The king had arrived.
The Messiah was there, the anointed one was on the scene.
This one of whom we've spoken today, one of whose glory we have feebly tried to expand their and what did they do with him. They killed him they killed him.
Point number four. The death of Christ even when those wicked men killed Christ out of the evil of their own hearts. Their actions for which they were culpable because they flowed from their own wicked, sinful desires to silence the Messiah, even in that their actions fulfilled divine prophecy.
Jesus quotes Zechariah at the Last Supper.
Look at Matthew chapter 26 Matthew 26 verse 31 Matthew 26 verse 31 Jesus said to them, you will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike down the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered or are they going to fall away, because it had been ordained by divine prophecy.
This is what God said would happen. This is what God predicted through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah and so the fact that the disciples fled, was a fulfillment of prophecy, the betrayal by Judas was a fulfillment of prophecy look back at verse 14 of chapter 26 look at a couple of passages here real quickly to see this.
Matthew 26 verse 14 then one of the 12 name Judas Iscariot went to the chief priest and said what are you willing to give me to betray him to you. They weighed out 30 pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray him now turn to Matthew chapter 27 verse three Judas had done his deed. He led the soldiers to the secret place they'd carried Jesus off for a mock trial sham of the trial.
Down Matthew 27 verse three it picks up the story with Judas after that fact.
Verse three when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying I have sinned by betraying innocent blood, but they said what is that to us see to that yourself and he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed anyone away and hanged himself.
The chief priest took the pieces of silver and said it's not lawful to put them into the temple treasury since it is the price of blood, and they conferred together and with the money bought the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.
Now, obviously, these men had no desire to fulfill prophecy. They had just betrayed the Messiah over to executioners and so these men were not biblical men.
They were not godly men. They were the height of ungodliness and yet what the Scriptures say about their actions. Verse eight.
For this reason that field is been called the field of blood. To this day. Verse nine, then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled and they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel and they gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me even the betrayal is a fulfillment of prophecy. Even the use of the money that was the price of the trail was a fulfillment of prophecy in the death of Christ when he seemed to be at his weakest, most subject to the authority of wicked men was all on God's timetable prophecy was being fulfilled.
Nothing happened here that was outside the design of God.
The prophecies were so certain and necessary in fulfillment, the Jesus could say this. Matthew 26 Matthew 26 in verse 55. At that time. Matthew 26 verse 55. At that time Jesus said to the crowd to become out with swords and clubs to arrest me as you would against a robber. Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize me. Why now then Lord Jesus verse 56 but all this is taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets than all the disciples left him and fled.
See from his very person from his genealogical lineage is childhood, his ministry, his death, the life of Christ, unfolded by a prophetic blueprint that was certain in its fulfillment. Even those who crucified him unknowingly, unconsciously, were fulfilling divine prophecy because God works even through the actions of sinful men to accomplish his holy purposes, and even those who crucified him unwittingly testified that he was the promised King verse 37 of Matthew 27 he's the king he's the king he's the king that's the message of Matthew in God so perfectly overrides the wicked intentions of man to accomplish his own purposes that even those who crucified gave testimony to the fact that Jesus was the king of the Jews. Verse 37, as he was crucified above his head. They put the charge against him, which read this is Jesus the King of the Jews now go to verse 41, just a few verses down the page there in the same way the chief priests also along with the scribes and elders were mocking him and saying he saved others, he cannot save himself there mocking him, and yet look at what comes out of their mouth. He is the king of Israel, and so even on the miles of those who crucified him were the words, the affirmation. This is the king of Israel.
The charge against him. This is the king of Israel. Throughout Matthew's gospel throughout. Fulfilled prophecy.
This is the king of Israel.
They set up a false challenge saying, let them come down from the cross and will believe on is the king of Israel come down from the cross that approve it. Well, Jesus improved by coming down from the cross. Today, he proved it by something infinitely greater when he didn't come down from the cross. He came out from a grave.
No one does that. No one rises from the dead on their own power.
Jesus did the Messiah as he set apart beloved. There is no king like this. Matthew 28 now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave, and behold a severe earthquake had occurred for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled away the stone and sat upon it in his appearance was like lightning in his clothing as white as snow.
The guard shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women. Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said, come see the place where he was lying. Go quickly and tell the disciples that he is risen from the dead, and behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him, behold, I have told you not only fulfilled prophecy those various points of his life, the divine attestation of this Jesus of Nazareth as being the promised King the only Lord the only Savior is found in the empty tomb, what God is laid out for us in his word here is a reality of unquestioned unparalleled authority that rests in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew's gospel demonstrates conclusively that he is the one of prophecy and now my friends, Christ comes and asserts his authority over us here today.
He's a living king is not dead he may not be physically present but he is alive and he speaks through his word and continues his claim established through all of eternity that he is the king now the question is what is your response and mine to that because there are two responses that are embedded in the narrative. After the statement of his resurrection. Question number one. Are you one who will respond in faith and trust and obedience and worship like the disciples did verse eight. They left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy. Ayn Rand reported to his disciples, and behold, Jesus met them and greeted them and they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
That's the only way that you respond to this king you fall down and you worship him you bow before the matchless authority of Christ and worship on con dish in the Lee if you're here today you young people and you don't know Christ. What is laid out before you here today is the way that you respond to Christ you turn from the sin for which he died and you receive him unconditionally as your king. That's the only way that you respond to a king. You bow before him. This king you bow before in utter worship of heart, soul and mind, and receive him. That's the response of faith, but as if to warn us as if to caution us. There is another narrative portion of the narrative that shows how the rebels respond verse 11 while they were on their way. Some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests, all that happened and when they had assembled together with the elders and consulted together. They gave a large sum of money to the soldiers and said you are to say, his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep and if this should come to the governor's ear. We will win him over and keep you out of trouble and they took the money and did as they had been instructed in this story was widely spread among the Jews and is to this day. For those of you that are rejecting Christ today you are doing the exact same thing is is wicked.
Chief priests did in the face of overwhelming conclusive final evidence of the glory and certainty of Christ. You make up silly excuses manufacture silly questions to evade the issue when people are in unbelief like some of you.
It's not a question of intellectual comprehension.
You can't deny the fullness of what Scripture says you can't deny the testimony of the spirit of God continually bearing witness to Christ through the proclaimed word can deny it, and so your unbelief is not a problem of your intellectual comprehension.
It's a problem of your rebel volition. It's a fact that you don't want to bow down before him.
It is a moral problem. What these chief priests did was Polish a foolish story bribed off soldiers to tell and obviously false story.
How would they even know if they were asleep. What happened while they were asleep make any sense. It's laughable. It makes no sense whatsoever, know what your refusal to bow to Christ. Your rejection of the gospel is of equal foolishness and contrived excuses. The don't bear the closest scrutiny of truth.
Your rejection of Christ is morally culpable. It only adds to your guilt to mock him in that way grieves me grieves me see after this message, there is no middle ground for any of us. You and I will either walk out that door. As a committed believing disciple of Jesus Christ rejoicing in the fact that he is the promised King and God by his spirit has brought him to us and will go out grounded and rejoicing because of the reality of the truths settled in our hearts that Christ is King and we have not believed in him, in vain, and will go out triumphant and rejoicing, which is what I'm going to do or because there is no middle ground you will go out as a dishonest man, woman or child filled with sin sinning against God and sinning against your own soul because of your irrational, selfish, sinful rejection of the proclamation of King Jesus. There is no other ground those no other way. There's no other exit you either go out belonging to Christ or you go out, having been made known to you of your inexcusable guilt and eternity is coming quickly and yet this gracious king offers himself to you one more time one more time.
Christ comes to you and says I'll still receive you, you haven't sinned yourself beyond my grace.
Confess your sin receive him as king and he'll forgive all of your sins and your sinful past will be forgotten in the courts of God erased by the cleansing blood of Christ, and you can be fully reconciled to God through faith in this promise king the certainty of fulfillment is there. Look at the closing verses. Matthew 28 verse 18 Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. He's a king. All right, King of heaven, king of earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And low. I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. Are you walking out today is a rejoicing disciple fully redeemed by the blood of Christ, are you walking out with inexcusable guilt on your soul. That's a question you don't have to walk out that way. Christ will receive you.
Christ will forgive you. Even now, just come to him by faith bow together in prayer father you have certified Christ to us in such an Unmistakable Way, Lord Jesus, you have laid down your life for us in such an unmistakable way. We thank you for the gospel and I pray father that those who belong to Christ would walk out rejoicing, knowing that they stand on an unshakable foundation of truth and made the glory of their Savior rejoice their heart today. I pray for those who have been rejecting him now, Lord, I ask you for the work of your spirit in their heart bring them by the same resurrection power raise you from the dead by that same power that overturned the grave of God you overturned the stony rebellious hearts that are in on this. They might willingly gladly humbly receive Christ for their salvation. Pray in his name today on the truth. Pulpit pastor Don Greene has concluded first leg of a four gospel journey looking at portraits of Christ. Next time we moved to the book of Mark so planned out to be with us. Will Don fulfilled prophecy is indeed a powerful argument in support of the Bible's authenticity. But as you pointed out today for skeptics. It's not a question of evidence but of sinful volition we helpless then when we speak to the well yes and no.
I would say were helpless in our own strength because we do not have the power to save anyone ourselves. But Christian friend. You're not helpless when you remember that salvation is of the Lord and he is pleased to save men by his power, when we faithfully testify to Christ. Remember always that we speak as ambassadors of Christ and then as you speak humbly pray for God to use his word in the lives of those that you speak to with men. Salvation is impossible but with God all things are possible in Christ. Thanks, Don, and friends.
We invite you to visit the truth. Pulpit.com for resources that will help you in your interactions with others as well as helping reinforcing your own faith. That's the truth. Pulpit.com. I'm Bill Wright inviting you back next time. When Don Greene presents more from the truth