Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Mt 12-13, Mk 3-4, Lk 8 & 13
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, and thank you for joining us for our Journey Through Scripture podcast. As we continue to go in a chronological order of our journey through Scripture, we are looking at the life of Jesus through the Gospels. Today we'll be looking at Matthew chapter twelve and thirteen, Mark three and four, Luke chapter eleven, and then Luke eight and thirteen. ⁓ so again, I know it's a lot of skipping around, ⁓ and and sometimes it's kind of double reading, but it's important to make sure we we get all of these teachings and how they're they show up in the different gospels at different times. Sometimes they're very, very similar. Sometimes one gospel adds a little bit more than than the other gospel. But ⁓ the story we start off with today in Matthew chapter twelve, ⁓ it's starting in verse ⁓ twenty-two through fifty. ⁓ it starts off with Jesus casting out some demons and he gets accused of ⁓ getting his power from Beelzebub. This is something that is ⁓ common that a a lot of the religious leaders trying to discredit Jesus would do, say, ⁓ well you're you're getting your power ⁓ from some place that is unholy. And that's where Jesus says, a house divided against itself cannot stand. What what would it ⁓ what sense would it make if I am driving out demons that I am doing it in the name of Satan, the father of the demons? Right? So he's he's you know making making that point. ⁓ and you can tell that Jesus kind of gets gets frustrated ⁓ with this accusation. ⁓ and in verse thirty of Matthew chapter twelve he says, He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. ⁓ Jesus I know we love to take the simple views of, you know, the God of the Old Testament is the mean God and the God of vengeance and and ⁓ anger and wrath. And then Jesus is all about love and caring and he's just so sweet. And th that that's that's dangerous if we try to simplify it like that. Jesus obviously is ⁓ sharing an amazing message of ⁓ forgiveness, of mercy, of inclusiveness that everyone is invited to be part of the kingdom of God. ⁓ but that doesn't mean that there's not separation, and this is a extremely divisive statement. Right, he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. That that's an offensive talk in our day today. ⁓ but yet Jesus recognized that there were those who were for him, and then there were those who were for the enemy, and that there will be a separation ⁓ for sure. And ⁓ then Jesus continues to go up go on and talk about ⁓ you know just different ⁓ sermon ideas and different thoughts. ⁓ it talks about the unpardonable sin in verses thirty one ⁓ through thirty two. ⁓ it says anyone who speaks aga a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or the age to come. So, you know, there's a lot of talk on well, what is the unforgivable sin? And ⁓ some would say it's suicide. That's kind of the Catholic tradition. ⁓ I I I think I think we're we're probably overthinking ⁓ this is probably pretty simple. Blasphemy the Holy Spirit means that you are rejecting the Holy Spirit, that you are not asking the Holy Spirit to to come in and and to change you and to fill you. ⁓ so it's it's a rejection of the presence of God. It's the rejection of what God is offering you. If you do that, ⁓ then you will not receive what's what the h spirit offers, ⁓ which will lead to a separation ⁓ from God, ⁓ in this age and in the age to come. ⁓ I I think it's it it's pretty much that that simple. ⁓ some would probably disagree with that, but ⁓ but I I I do believe that if you do not accept ⁓ the offer of of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to come in and forgive and cleanse and ⁓ create a new spirit within you, then you will be separated from ⁓ from from God. ⁓ then it continues to kind of go on that idea, tree is known by its fruit. Whatever is on the inside, ⁓ the the outside will begin to bear good fruit. ⁓ verse thirty seven, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. Right. ⁓ by by the the words that you speak, by what you believe, by the life that you live, the fruit that you bear. ⁓ all of that is an indication of of where you are on the inside. Have you allowed ⁓ God to change you from the inside, which leads to the outside and leads to actions being changed as well. ⁓ then you have the scribes and Pharisees asking for a sign. ⁓ this is ridiculous. There's they've been seeing signs. But they are just kind of ⁓ toying with Jesus. and ⁓ Jesus pushes back ⁓ against them. He says, For as Jonah was in the three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. So he's alluding that he is ⁓ you know to his death and resurrection, but he is connecting himself ⁓ with ⁓ with the prophet. ⁓ verse thirty nine, a little bit before that, it says he answered them. He says, An evil and adulterous generation Seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to you except the sign of the prophet Jonah. So ⁓ they are just, you know, kind of prodding him as a ⁓ circus act to show them a sign. ⁓ but yet Jesus knows that that that where their hearts are and and he calls them out. ⁓ it's shocking that they became very angry at Jesus, isn't it? ⁓ then you have verse 43. ⁓ kind of an interesting verse. When it when an unclean spirit goes out of the man, he goes through dry places seeking rest, find none. Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came, and when he comes he finds it empty, swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of man ⁓ of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be with ⁓ with this wicked generation. ⁓ basically what he's kind of the illustration here is probably referencing to the people of Israel, how they began worshiping pagan gods. ⁓ they ended up going into the exile. They came back. They've kind of got things cleared up again, but they they really have not fully turned to God. And now they have opened themselves up to even more spirits of deception and and and of of ⁓ kind of human pagan religions. ⁓ I it's kind of an interesting we're not not sure exactly ⁓ what this verse is is referring to, but it is it's definitely calling to account ⁓ the religious leaders of the day because they consider themselves much better than, ⁓ look at these past generations. And Jesus is saying, No, that we're you are always susceptible ⁓ to the evil spirits returning. And and I think that that that we we can take Some basic truth from this. We can get our lives cleaned up. ⁓ but we better be prepared because ⁓ there will be Satan does not give up. He continues to try to pull us away ⁓ from God. Then you have Jesus' mothers and his ⁓ brothers. ⁓ you know, and this is kind of the where Jesus is talks about the greater kingdom. ⁓ this he's not saying that his mother and brothers aren't important to him. They clearly are, but he is about a spiritual family much bigger that he came ⁓ for for everyone, ⁓ not just his immediate family. ⁓ Mark ⁓ chapter three, ⁓ it talks about the the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, talks about Jesus' mothers and brothers. That's ⁓ Mark chapter three, verses twenty through thirty-five. ⁓ Luke chapter eleven, verses fourteen through thirty-six. starts with a house divided against itself, ⁓ the unclean spirit keeping the word. ⁓ I thought this was interesting in ⁓ eleven, ⁓ chapter ⁓ verse twenty-seven ⁓ of Luke says as he was speaking this thing, as a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice, said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast which nursed you. But he said, More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. ⁓ again, Jesus is not wanting this attention on on how important he is. ⁓ it's listen to the message. I want you to change. Don't get focused on ⁓ on you know worship ⁓ worshiping my mother who bore me, right? Pay attention to what I'm saying and do it. ⁓ the Luke there in chapter eleven, you have seeking a sign, ⁓ and then ⁓ we get to the his mothers and brothers coming ⁓ to him in Luke chapter eight. ⁓ then in Matthew chapter thirteen we have the parable of the sower. ⁓ Jesus gives the the parable of sowing of the seeds and that ⁓ different people are going to react differently, but our role is to to sow those seeds. ⁓ the ⁓ it talks about why Jesus used parables because that was spoken in talked about in the old testament. Because not everyone was going to understand. You had to pay attention. ⁓ you had to seek the truth. And ⁓ and Jesus would explain ⁓ the parables ⁓ to the disciples. ⁓ there's also the parable of the wheat and the tares. ⁓ the tares are basically weeds that someone mixed those seeds in with the wheat seeds. And ⁓ at the end of that it's ⁓ Matthew chapter thirteen, verse twenty eight, he said, An enemy has done this, the servant said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, No, lest you gather up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at that time I will say to the reapers first, gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. ⁓ again, there's there's constant comparison of those who choose to believe and those who do not. ⁓ and I I think it's important that that Jesus does ⁓ that that is a main point of his his ministry. Then we have the parable of the mustard seed. All of these are about the kingdom of God. Kind of ⁓ simple ⁓ illustrations of the power of the kingdom of God. It's like a mustard seed. It's small, but it has a huge impact. ⁓ the parable of the leaven, how the the the leaven impacts everything, even though it is ⁓ unseen. ⁓ the continue to talk about the parables, the parable of the tares explained the ⁓ other other parables, verse forty four, Matthew thirteen, again the kingdom of heaven is like the treasure hiz hidden in a field, which a man found and hid, and for joy over it he goes and sells all he has and buys that field, right? That the kingdom of heaven is worth anything. ⁓ whenever you find it you you recognize that nothing ⁓ is as important ⁓ as the kingdom of heaven. ⁓ Mark chapter four has the parable of the sower ⁓ parable of the sower explained has the the light under a basket, says ⁓ Mark chapter four verse twenty one. He says is a light b ⁓ lamp brought to be put under a basket or a bed, is it not to be set on a lampstand, for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor is anything be kept secret that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him e hear. and this idea it's ⁓ putting light on the situation, putting truth out there. That Jesus is spreading that ⁓ truth to a dark world. ⁓ Continue to see many of the same parables. ⁓ Luke chapter 8 again has the parable of the sower, ⁓ some of the different parables, but it starts off in chapter 8, verse 1. It says, Now it came to pass ⁓ that he went through every city and village preaching and bringing glad tidings tidings of the kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him, and certain women who had been healed of even. evil spirits and infirmities, Mary Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna, the wife of ⁓ Cusa, Herod Stewart and Susanna, and many others who provided for him f ⁓ from their substance. So we have that it's not just the disciples, there are others who are following and who are supporting Jesus and the the women had a important role, ⁓ which again, the fact that it even mentions that goes against ⁓ the norms of that culture. ⁓ for women were not usually recognized ⁓ for what they did. All right, so we're gonna stop there. and next we will be looking in Matthew ⁓ chapters eight and nine, Mark four and five, and Luke chapter eight. So Matthew eight and nine, Mark four and five, Luke chapter eight. ⁓ we'll see the That the winds and the waves even obey Jesus. All right. I hope that you have a wonderful week. We will see you on