relationships (Matthew 22:23-33) What Happens Now and After?

(Matthew 22:23-33)

23 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died, and having no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 It was the same also with the second brother, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her in marriage.”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Keep in mind that the Abrahamic covenant promised all twelve tribes to be present when all promises were fulfilled.  Therefore, it was necessary that the firstborn male of each family have children, in order to protect the population of their tribe.  Also, each family required an heir to lead the entire family's estate.  If the eldest son married, and then died, the next single brother in line was to marry the woman, etc.  Although some very godly men had more than one wife, no where in the Bible does God approve.

Let's look back to when God created mankind.  He created us in order to have children to love, and hopefully have us return His love.  We were created with a soul to be filled only by the Lord.  So, when we put our faith in Him, He completes us and satisfies our soul.  As God is Three in One, God saw fit to create a suitable teammate, the female to compliment the man, and in their union, the two become "one" flesh.  And then, when both the husband and the wife are believers, each being "one" with the Lord's Holy Spirit, the following verse then has much more meaning.  While no none can lose their salvation, divorce is not likely when both husband and wife are focused on relying on the Lord, in all things.

(Ecclesiastes 4:12)  And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

"What does this mean for the single person?"  For starters, remember that marriage does not complete or fulfill us, it is only in having a personal relationship with God.  "What if I die without ever experiencing sex?" is a very common question and concern.  Just know that heaven and experiencing God's inexplicable eternal joy is going to be far above and beyond anything we would ever be able to experience here on earth.  But until then, focus on the Lord and continue growing closer to Him, to be content in all things.  And, be honest with Him and share everything that is on your heart, and remain patient.  God's answer might not be "No", but rather, "Just wait, I have something far better in mind for you."

Now let's consider what heaven will look like.  All believers will go to heaven and receive glorified bodies - although verse 30 does not specifically say that we WILL be angels - we will be LIKE the angels.  And for now, up until the time of the rapture, believers who have passed away, are enjoying a really good heavenly sleep!!!  So when we lose a loved one who is a believer, it is only a temporary loss.  One day, we will see our entire spiritual family, but nothing will surprise the joy of being there with our Lord and Savior!

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

relationships (Matthew 22:15-22) Perspective

(Matthew 22:15-22)

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16 And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and do not care what anyone thinks; for You are not partial to anyone. 17 Tell us then, what do You think? Is it permissible to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 And hearing this, they were amazed; and they left Him and went away.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

God is very practical and very fair!  God is also all-knowing, so let's not think that we can pull one over on Him.  Our relationship with the Lord is the most important one that we can ever have.  And while He should come first in our lives (and if we have a spouse, they should come second), all else should be put into perspective.  While following Jesus' example, we are not to be partial to anyone.  Be in the world, but not of the world.  This includes submitting to the authorities that are in place, and obeying the laws of our country, as long as they do not go against God's will.  So, with that, as far as we are able, we are to live at peace with others, while striving to live in God's will, with His help and guidance.

relationships (Matthew 22:1-46) Saying YES to the "Dress"

(Matthew 22:1-46)

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son. 3 And he sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened cattle are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!”  5 But they paid no attention and went their separate ways, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and treated them abusively, and then killed them. 7 Now the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 So go to the main roads, and invite whomever you find there to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

The Lord Jesus invites everyone to the table, where there is close fellowship, all in the love, peace and unity of God!  To accept His invitation is to become a believer, by humbling one's heart, repenting of one's sins, and believing in the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  In our salvation, all sins are forgiven (past, present, future), we receive His indwelling Holy Spirit, and are covered by His righteousness.  THIS is to be dressed and ready for the wedding feast.

One might think it unfair to be tossed out of a wedding celebration because one is not dressed appropriately, but understand that God is very fair and just, and gives everyone fair opportunity to accept His invitation.  Not only does He want all people to accept, but He provides the wedding attire!!!

Now to explain the end times:  for those becoming believers before the Tribulation, the Bible describes the Church as the bride of Christ, and He is the groom, therefore in this parable, God is the King.  Scripture has also described the Millennial kingdom as the wedding feast.

Keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to the Israelites, who are waiting for their covenants to be fulfilled, which will happen in the Millennial kingdom.  But because they as a nation rejected and still reject Jesus as their Messiah, their Jewish Age was put on pause, with seven remaining years.   Not until Jesus had died and rose again, and ascended into heaven, did the disciples know about this Church Age.

Now, in the Church Age, whoever becomes a believer is part of the Church, including Jews.  At any moment, like "a thief in the night", Jesus will catch up all believers of all time, up until that point, and take His "bride" (the Church) to heaven.  This all parallels the events of a traditional biblical Jewish wedding.  

In a traditional Jewish wedding:

- the groom (Jesus) proposes (presents the good news of salvation)

- the bride accepts (those becoming believers, become the Church/the bride)

- the bride is from that moment forward legally bound together (one cannot lose their salvation)

- the groom goes away to prepare his home (Jesus ascended to heaven and prepares a place for us)

- when it is time and everything is ready, the groom returns to collect his bride (the rapture, which is when believers are caught up to heaven to be with Jesus)

- the groom and bride have their honeymoon phase (believers will be with Jesus in heaven, while the Tribulation occurs on earth for seven years)

-  the attendants wait... (those on earth who become believers during the Tribulation must wait for Jesus to return, in particular, the entire nation of Israel)

- attendants must be ready for the moment when the groom determines it is time to lead the way to the wedding feast (Jesus returns to have victory at the battle of Armageddon, and brings all believers from the Tribulation into the Millennium)

.  the festivities can go on for days (the Millennium lasts for 1,000 years)

- when they are finished celebrating, it is time to go home (all believers, and those being born into the Millennium and choosing to become believers, all go to heaven for all eternity)

Because He loves us, the Lord Jesus wants to have a relationship with us!  He has already proven His unconditional, sacrificial love for us by suffering, dying and rising again for us, and wanting to do everything for us, and desiring to spend all eternity with us - He extends His invitation - His proposal - all we have to do is say, "YES"!

relationships (Matthew 21:42-46) Building Us Up

(Matthew 21:42-46)

42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,

     ‘A stone which the builders rejected,
     This has become the chief cornerstone;
     This came about from the Lord,
     And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 And although they sought to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a prophet.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

For pretty much this entire chapter, Jesus has addressed those spiritual leaders with hardened hearts.  Back then, it wasn't like everyone had a copy of the Bible.  And at this point, only the books of the Old Testament existed, on scrolls, and those were not in abundance.  BUT, the scribes and Pharisees, etc. would have had access to them for sure.  Most boys went to Hebrew school until the age of 12, and then, only the fortunate who were able to pursue further education in order to become a scribe, Pharisee, etc. would be mentored.  

Therefore, these leaders definitely should have known about this prophecy and warning.  But with stubborn, hardened hearts, their sin, pride and selfishness, would not have wanted to see or understand the message.  This message of love, peace and hope - only agitated them towards more indignation, anger and hate.

The message is both for the Jew and "the Gentile".  The Abrahamic covenant promised Israel that they would receive their land, seed and blessings, and through their seed, all nations would be blessed.  

- the promised land, not only refers to Israel's literal land, but to the Millennial kingdom, as well as to heaven

- seed, not only refers to having many descendants, but to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah (Christ), who came in flesh to be fully man while still being fully God.  Mary, as well as Joseph (even though he was only His stepfather), were both from the line of Abraham via king David.

- blessings, aka FRUIT, not only refers to physical profit (income) from one's work, but to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the fruit that God brings about when we serve, in His love, truth and strength, all to His glory.  

All of these promises within the covenant can only be fulfilled 100% when there is perfect obedience, which is only possible through salvation in Jesus!  For everyone, including the Jews, to be in perfect obedience requires each individual repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus' salvation (which includes His forgiveness of all sins, receiving His indwelling Holy Spirit, and being covered in His righteousness).

If at that point the Jews had accepted Jesus (the chief cornerstone), they would have gone straight into the Millennial kingdom, with all of their covenants fulfilled.  But Jesus always knew that they would reject Him, and crucify Him.  This rejection is the cut off point that is spoken about in the prophecy of Daniel 9, which leaves seven more years before the Jewish Age will be finished.  It will be during the Tribulation that the Jews will see the judgments (the signs of Jesus' return), and then as a nation they will all become believers.  THEN at the end of those 7 years, Jesus will take them into the thousand year reign to establish the Millennial kingdom and fulfill all covenants.

Jesus always knew what would happen and when, and even still, the Lord God has a plan, which will be carried out.  Part of the Lord's plan included using His rejection and crucifixion to bring about the only way to salvation and hope, because where there is sin there has to be death.  So in His great love, Jesus shed His blood and died in our place, to pay for all sin, for all people, of all time.  In His resurrection, there is victory and eternal life when we put our faith in Him.  This is the only way to avoid hell.  And this is the only way to heaven.  But more than that, it is the only way to have, and it is all about having, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!

The Lord God is the chief cornerstone upon which everything is built upon!  Jesus is the architect and builder, the foundation of truth, the pillar of strength, the tower of refuge, the chief cornerstone...  Having Jesus as our Lord, Savior and King, means we will not fall.  In His victory, we are victorious, because He is the one who builds us up, from the inside out.

relationships (Matthew 21:33-46) Choosing Our Master

(Matthew 21:33-41)

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and he leased it to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34 And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit. 35 And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them. 37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

In Rome and in the Israeli region of Galilee, there were many wealthy landowners.  Therefore the people who were hearing this parable could understand its concept.  These landowners typically were so rich, that they could go off and live a life of leisure somewhere far away, while having trusted overseers.  But this particular landowner, who is benevolent (and only seems far away, because He is unseen), represents God.

Not all slaves were involuntary forced laborers.  There were some slaves that had debts that they couldn't pay, and once they had worked a specific amount of time, they were set free.  Especially if the master was benevolent, some of these slaves would become voluntary bondslaves (bondmen), choosing to disregard their own interests and devote themselves to the interests of their benevolent master.  Thus, the slaves in this parable would be the latter, representing God's prophets.

Tenants would rent or lease land for a predetermined amount or percentage of profit, which was rendered at harvest time.  Interestingly, in ancient business documents, profit was often called "fruit".  Spiritually, fruit represents good and righteous outcomes from one's service.  This represents how God works through those who believe in Him, and willingly obey Him, in His will, all to His glory.

To those listening to Jesus' parable, the peasants would have been the ones to praise the benevolent landowner.  But the aristocrats would have considered this landowner naive, especially because, who in their right mind would have been so patient and appealed to their sense of honor this long.  They would have considered this folly.  Typically, landowners had power, socially and legally, to enforce their will.  Some even had hired assassins to deal with presumptuous, troublesome tenants.  But in this parable, the tenants acted as if they were the landowners with power, and exploited it mercilessly.

The outrageous actions of the tenants would have horrified everyone hearing this parable, from the peasants to the spiritual leaders.  Yet, the tenants in this story represented the kings and spiritual leaders of Israel who had martyred many of God's prophets.  And in just a little while, the spiritual leaders listening to this, were going to crucify Jesus, the Son of God.  Jesus reminded those who fancied themselves rulers of Israel, that they were appointed by God to be merely custodians over His vineyard.  But just like the selfish, wicked and stupid tenants, the spiritual leaders presumed they would inherit and own everything (illegally), by getting rid of Jesus.

Unlike the landowner in this story, God always knew that He would have to come to earth in flesh to suffer and die for all sin, for all people, of all time, and be raised up to have victory over sin and death.  Whether one accepts or rejects Him, the Lord did this because He loves us.  He did this because He desires that we all come to know Him personally.  But it is our choice to make.

Because, including those pious spiritual leaders, we are all born as slaves to sin, evil and death is our master, for now and all eternity, UNLESS we humble our hearts and accept the freedom that Jesus offers us.  Our one and only hope is to accept Jesus' payment of redemption (His death in place of our eternal death).  Repenting of our sins is to give Him our sins in exchange for His forgiveness and eternal life with Him.  In salvation and freedom, we get to serve, honor and worship the most benevolent Master, Lord, Savior, King and heavenly Father.

relationships (Matthew 21:28-32) What Makes the Difference?

(Matthew 21:28-32)

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. 30 And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

To openly refuse to do as one's father has asked was a punishable offense, but failing to do what the father has asked was worse, and even more so if one had promised to obey.  The latter scenario represents those people who are simply doing religion, thinking that it's all about what they do and say.  But in one's own efforts and strength, it is impossible to be perfectly obedient in God's eyes.  

By using tax gatherers and prostitutes in comparison with the pious spiritual leaders, Jesus could not have chosen a much more offensive set of examples.  Many people will be insulted and indignant in hearing all of this, and sadly, dismiss the good news and truth, that God comes to us, to do everything for us.  Even though we are all born with a sinful nature, even the most sinful person is invited to repent, to receive eternal life, and be part of God's family.

Therefore, to be righteous, one must become a believer.  When one humbly repents of their sins, they are forgiven, and covered with the righteousness of Jesus.  It is the righteousness of Jesus, and His indwelling Holy Spirit who changes us from the inside out, that makes it possible for us to strive in obedience, in God's will - not because we have to, but because we want to!  Christianity is all about having a personal connection and relationship with the Lord!  And He wants us to continue growing closer to Him, so that He can help us more and more, and bless us through our willingness to obey.

relationships (Matthew 21:23-27) The Art of Communicating

(Matthew 21:23-27)

23 When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24 But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

I love it!  Why can't I be more like Jesus!?  I'm way too quick to try to answer people when they challenge me.  Because, not everyone who asks a question about God, actually wants to know the answer.  Some people are only looking to argue, with the intentions of "winning".  And with this, I really have to fight my own competitiveness, and quickly confess my prideful urge to also "win" using my own intelligence.  Everything I do and say should be done with God's love, wisdom and guidance.  And to be more like Jesus requires that I go to Jesus for His help.  

As the Creator, being omniscient, the Lord Jesus knows everything, including how to communicate!   He is, after all, the author of truth.  Therefore, it is a very good thing to be studying God's word, which helps us to know and understand God's truths accurately.  And, not only do I need to learn how to ask questions, I need to be praying for God's wisdom in everything, and asking Him to speak through me, since every situation and conversation is going to be different.