Missions Paul

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (Matthew 21 v 23-27)

The response of Jesus was masterful. If John the Baptist’s ministry was from God then that would indicate where the authority of Jesus came from. But they had rejected John. If John the Baptist’s ministry was not from God then all the people who had accepted him as a prophet would turn on these religious leaders. They were caught. People who are caught usually say “I don’t know.”

The questions came as Jesus was walking through the Temple. The building work had begun under Herod the Great approximately 45 years ago at the time of Jesus walking through the courts that day. It would be approximately another 30yrs before it was finished and it would stand for 7 years before being flattened by Titus in AD70.

The questions came from the Chief Priests and the elders. They are the ones who interpret what Moses taught, they are the intermediaries between man and what God desires and demands. They are at the top of their careers. There are many who want to be in their position. They are the authority.

The questions come for a reason. Jesus had entered the Temple the previous day and caused havoc. They had lost money that day. Jesus had prevented people carrying their offerings and goods in and out of the Temple, he had effectively shut down the worship.

I am painting the picture of the battle of authority. Can you see it?

Matthew is obviously writing post-resurrection and he is clear. He knows who wins the battle. He knows where the authority of Jesus lies. There is still a battle of authority today.

We are faced with this question today, the same question. The authority of Jesus. What is it? Where does it come from?

What do you say?

It seems to me that many want to hold his hand but not bow their knee. Many want the benefits of Jesus but not the surrender. What do we say?

If Jesus is who people like Matthew says He is then it matters not how we feel, nor our circumstances that we go through, nothing absolutely nothing justifies us not surrendering our lives to Him. The only position is the bended knee.

Churches that fall-out over whose authority is higher, who is right and wrong, are churches that have not recognised the highest authority in the universe.

Christians that hurt others are people who are not kneeling before the throne but sitting on it.

I want to see the authority of Jesus brought back into the Church. We need a move of God throughout the nation. We need the outpouring of His glory. Our position regarding His authority will create the stage for that move.

“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21 v 18-22)

First the fruit then the leaves, that is the order for the fig tree. So the fig tree has leaves so there must be fruit. Yet this isn’t the season for fruit but that doesn’t stop Jesus looking for it because he is hungry. When he looks at the tree he finds no figs so he curses the tree.

This isn’t only a lesson in lost potential it is more than that. This isn’t only a lesson in the wrongs of arrogance, it is again more than that.

It is the arrogance of displaying you have what you don’t have at a time when no one is expecting you to have it in the first place!

Confused?

The fig tree is the generation of Israel expecting the Messiah.

It is the Temple of worship built to honour the glory of God, which Jesus has just entered and found it as a den of robbers and on that day would turn the Temple into disarray.

The fig tree had no fruit because it was not the season, all that was left on the tree were the leaves.

God has punished and exiled Israel because of its waywardness and rejection of Him throughout its history, in the time when it was not the season for the Messiah. If Jesus curses the fig tree out of season what does that indicate would happen to Israel if it is in season but is not fruitful? When the Messiah is here and it is the season and there is no fruit how much more will the curse be?

This is the season now. Jesus is here. He has been in the Temple which is heralding the One to come and He is here. Now is the time for salvation. So what now if there is no response? If there is no fruit?

Will Jesus bring a bigger curse to Israel?

We know what happens.

Jesus becomes the curse.

“The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.” (Matthew 21 v 14-17)

Jesus had driven out those moneychangers from the temple who had been exploiting the poor and now remaining there heals people.

But see who he heals. The very people who could not go into the temple because of their sicknesses.

See who are shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ It is the children who are mimicking what they heard as Jesus rode into the city a few hours ago.

Jesus uses Psalm 8 where Yahweh is the focus of the praise and so in referring the Psalm to what the children are doing to him in bringing their shouts of praise he is identifying himself with God, the incarnate God.

Now see the response from those who have witnessed all this. The religious leaders have seen the judgment in the temple, the Messianic healings in the temple and the praise of the Messiah there in the temple. Their response is indignation.

Greed, robbery, abusive power, shunning the outcasts was more acceptable to them than letting Jesus loose in their temple. When a person is full of pride then they only want honour for themselves and cannot stand others receiving what they greedily desire for themselves. There is no sharing of praise. Jealousy is close by even for these annoying little children.

And he left them … and for some churches and temples he doesn’t return. For unless we build a community of worship that welcomes the weakest, the smallest and the most insignificant, unless we build safe places for all, unless religious leaders surrender their pride and ego positions then what we build isn’t a place Jesus is at home.

It had become what it was never meant to be.

“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”(Matthew 21 v 12-13)

There were crowds continually arriving into Jerusalem from many parts of the world and as today they need their currency exchanging. The main money exchange seems to be at the Temple, it was convenient there as they would then go and buy animals in order to bring sacrificial worship. Jesus said they had turned the house of prayer for all nations into a den of robbers meaning that there was exploitation taking place, the Temple were benefiting hugely on the back of people’s needs. And who were they exploiting the most? Well, it was as it is today, the poor.

Jesus overturned the tables of those selling doves. Leviticus 5: 7 “Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.”

Jesus’ concern isn’t for the rich, for those who can afford say a lamb sacrifice, it is for those who cannot afford anything more than a dove. These exploited people are in his heart. It still is today.

Jesus caused a Black Wednesday or whatever day it was. It was an economic meltdown on Wall Street which affected nations.

Maybe He will do it again.

But pause again. You see, we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We are called for prayer. Have we exchanged that? Do we pray? How long for? Does it occupy the main purpose of our life? What about how we treat others? Look behind, is anyone hurting because of the way you have treated them, unkind words, neglect of love or using and abusing them? Maybe our temples need cleansing today. Maybe we need to be hurt by Jesus coming and causing a meltdown, upsetting our whole life because we have become not what we were created for. Let Him have His way today.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21 v 10-11)

The crowd are already mixed in their understanding of Jesus’ identity. Some are shouting ‘Hosanna’ for he is their Messiah and others that he is a prophet from some backwater of Galilee. The whole city was stirred and we remember His birth when the Magi came into Jerusalem following a star from the east, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him”. (Matthew 2 v 3) Herod, the self-imposed king of the Jews was afraid when he heard the gossip on the streets of Jerusalem. He was afraid of being usurped from anything from the east. He knew he was not the true King of the Jews, Rome had placed him there. His safety was in the west, his paranoia was in the east. He was stirred along with the city.

3 decades later the city is stirred again by the announcement and presence of Christ. But a prophet from Nazareth?

“Who is this?”

I believe what this generation needs to know during and coming out of this pandemic more than ever is not what the building plans of the Church are; primarily not how the Church has become digital; not even how delighted the Church are at being back in ‘fellowship’.

The world need to know who God is.

They need to know what He has done.

They need to know who they are as a result of that.

They need to know how to live.

For that to happen they need to know who Jesus is.

They need to know the centrality and supremacy of Christ in 2021.

They need to know that when you look at Jesus you look at God.

What the world needs today is to know the amazing truth that the invisible God has allowed himself to be seen and known in Jesus Christ.

Jesus enters Jerusalem, a city always known for its turmoil and even more so today. It is a reflection of our hearts, full of angst, fear and uncertainty for our tomorrow. Jesus entering the disturbance of our thoughts as we battle with our lives, jobs, families and the many sicknesses we face. As He enters He stirs up that turmoil for He comes to turn the world upside down. In His realignment of our lives we become even more disturbed as it is us who have to change not Him. We maybe want a Jesus who makes us happy and pats us on our back. But that is not Him. He has been stirring hearts and cities since He was born on earth and He is continuing to this day.

“They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21 v 7-9)

So Jesus is riding the donkey on a pathway of garments and clothing. A picture of both cultural and prophetic honour.

When the Israelites are aware that Jehu has been made king in 2 Kings 9: 13, this is what happened, “They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

It seems that from the Messianic statements they were shouting, they were believing the good times were about to come. We can all honour someone if we think we are getting something from them.

You can be holy if you want something.

You can lay your life and garments down if you know you will be exalted.

Jesus was going to liberate them from the Romans.

The taxation system was going to end.

Their land would no longer be occupied.

So the crowd went wild in honour of Jesus.

However, they were honouring Jesus in line with their own preconceived ideas of who they thought he was and who they so desperately wanted him to be.

They got the right person. Jesus was indeed their Messiah. But they were wrong in what their Messiah was going to do.

There is always a time when Jesus doesn’t come and do what we expected and hoped He would do. Our agenda is a limited perspective.

This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey. The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.’” (Matthew 21 v 4-6)

Matthew is writing his gospel perhaps at the time when Peter and Paul was still alive (approx. AD60) and it would seem that he has a church composed largely of Jewish Christians in mind as his gospel often cites Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus.

Here he does it again quoting Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout Daughter Jerusalem!  See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Your king … This title is important for Matthew. Entering into this final week he makes sure that we see Jesus as the King (27:11; 27:29; 27:37 and 27:42).

Jesus didn’t ride on a warhorse but an animal representing the common people. He rode from the house of poverty (Bethany) to the oppressed and the marginalised. There will come a day when He will ride a horse of judgment. But here He rides in saying ‘I’m not that kind of hero you are looking for’. I’m here as a different king to the one you are used to. The tables have indeed turned. The true king has come and He is found in the marketplace. He has actually come from a manger not a palace; his triumphal ministry is a ransom ministry and that is his own life.

Why does Matthew mention a donkey and her colt when the other gospel writers only use the colt? Mark and Luke say the colt was so young it had never been ridden before. Therefore the picture is of Jesus the King riding this unbroken animal into a crowded noisy scene calmed by the presence of her mother next to her. Today, whatever you are facing, wherever you are going, with Jesus your King you can know the peace that He brings.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” (Matthew 21 v 1-3)

If Jesus is Lord then success is to bring back what you were sent to get.

If Jesus is Lord then you have confidence that He knows where everything is, including donkeys.

If Jesus is Lord then behind the story there has been a moment when you have made Him so.

If Jesus is Lord then He still needs your consent and partnership.

If Jesus is Lord then obedience is as important as miracles.

If Jesus is Lord then He owns everything you have, you have no rights to your possessions.

If Jesus is Lord then perhaps you should start by saying ‘God use all I have and all I own.’

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives …” (Matthew 21 v 1)

On your approach to your destiny you will come through many seasons and experiences.

Through Bethphage whose name means ‘House of unripe figs’ where Jesus caused a fig tree with no fruit to wither. A fig tree has fruit developing before the leaves so if you saw a fig tree with leaves you would be expecting fruit.

On the Mount of Olives where since 3 B.C. it has served as the main burial grounds of the city.

Jesus was always heading to Jerusalem. It is where we celebrate the centre of our faith, his death and resurrection.

Even today you may experience:

1. Unfulfilled potential, people who are experiencing a death of their marriage, of their work, of who they could have been and who talked the talk but on a closer scrutiny didn’t live up to that talk. But we are not called to this death. Bethphage is not our destiny.
2. The obvious. The fact that everyone and everything has a time-span. Nothing lives forever. Stories come to an end. Happy stories, sad stories, good and kind stories, bad and cruel stories, they all share the same burial ground. But we are not called to such fatalism. The Mount of Olives is not our destiny.

We have to keep going. To Jerusalem.

To the place of the voluntary surrendering of our lives to God for others.

To the place of submission.

This is a new death. A letting go at the point of momentum. We still have life. We may even be at our prime. We still have vision. We have more to give. But it isn’t taken from us and we do not lose it, we give it away, we lay our life down, all that we are, all that we have accomplished, all that we own, we surrender to Him, out of our love for others. This is our destiny, Jerusalem. Where we willingly close the chapter trusting in Him who opens a new one, who makes a way, who never lets death win, who always causes the sun to rise, who continually makes sure we can begin again. This is our destiny.

“As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” (Matthew 20 v 29-34)

Jesus was leaving Jericho and the crowds were following him. But his departure from the city led to the fulfilled destiny of these two blind men. They were not going to miss their opportunity as they heard that Jesus was passing their way.

Blindness was a serious disease at the time of Jesus. Society looked at it like it was one step up from death! There was no example in the Old Testament of a cure.

But every Jew knew that the promised messianic age would bring healing to the blind, for example,

Isaiah 35:5 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped”.

The only hope and dream for these two men was that the Messiah would come in their lifetime. There were many days spent in discouragement holding on to a dream.

It’s never too late to become determined again. It’s never too late to shout out to God.

You may have experienced failure, you may have been overwhelmed with discouragement and you may have quit from everything in your life, but TODAY you can receive His touch on your life and rise in a new level of determination. When you think it’s all over God comes in and says we haven’t begun yet, I am about to light the fire of passion in your life. Have you heard that God is still moving? Have you heard that He is still performing miracles? Have you heard that He is closer to you than you could ever imagine? Jesus is passing your way.