The Faithfulness of God | Matthew 23:37-39

Scripture

• Matthew 23:37–39

About this sermon

Introduction: We must never forget that when we are hearing the words of Jesus, we are hearing the God of the Bible. Israel met with her God face to face in the person of Jesus. Jesus has already pointed out that this is what Israel has not recognized about her Messiah. He is not just David’s Son; He is David’s Lord. ESV Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. HOW, INDEED, COULD THIS BE? The answer is the miracle of the incarnation. ESV Matthew 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). This is the amazing truth; God had come to dwell with men on earth. NAS John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ESV John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ESV John 14:5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? God is one. But God has forever been, and will ever be, three persons. One God in three persons — the Trinity. According to God’s will, God’s eternal decrees, God’s saving purposes, the 2nd person of the Trinity left heaven and came to earth. So that when you are hearing Jesus, you are hearing the words OF GOD, the will OF GOD, the perspective OF GOD. And Jesus is now delivering the promise of Israel’s judgment to the religious leaders who represented the nation’s spiritual condition. THIS IS ISRAEL’S GOD, TELLING ISRAEL, THAT A MASSIVE JUDGMENT IS ON ITS WAY — THEY HAVE BEEN FULLY WARNED AND THE JUDGMENT IS FULLY DESERVED. What has just happened in this encounter in the temple — what has just happened as Jesus has answered their demands for the source of His authority, and thwarted their attempts to entrap Him, and pointed out their arrogance, and ignorance, and pronounced their judgment — HAS DEMONSTRATED WHY this is the end for Israel as the representatives of God in this age. God had chosen Israel to be His witness — to bear His name — but they have sold their birthright for the world’s pot of stew. They have forfeited their role, FOR THIS TIME, due to unbelief. They had already experienced devastating judgments — deportation, a kind of restoration that still left them under foreign rule — but now it has reached its climax. THEY WILL CRUCIFY THEIR MESSIAH (vs.32-33) THEY WILL CONTINUE IN THEIR REJECTION OF MESSIAH (vs.34) THEY WILL CONFIRM THEIR JUDGMENT AS THE SERPENT’S OFFSPRING (vs.35) THEY WILL SOON EXPERIENCE THIS MASSIVE JUDGMENT (vs.36) Here, Christ’s words sum up the entire history of a people who despised and spurned God’s grace to them. BUT JESUS DOESN’T JUST SPEAK OF THEIR JUDGMENT. HE ALSO SPEAKS OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS. EVEN AS JESUS PRONOUNCES A MASSIVE JUDGMENT, HE ALSO VOICES GOD’S MASSIVE FAITHFULNESS. We examine this under three headings. • A PEOPLE REJECTING GRACIOUS LOVE (vs.37) The repetition of the address speaks of the intensity of the address. O JERUSALEM! JERUSALEM! THESE ARE NOT PASSIONLESS WORDS. THE PRONOUNCEMENTS ARE NOT WITHOUT PATHOS. This is the same passion on display when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem at the time of His triumphal entry. ESV Luke 19:41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Topics

• Faith
• Faithfulness