• increasing awareness of and opposition to Jesus
• identity of Pharisees and Scribes
• internal/external issue

• more accusation than request
• repeated activity of disciples
• tradition of elders regarding ceremonial purity (Lev. 11-15)

• emphatic counter-question
• repeated violation of the religious leaders
• example: tradition that nullifies the teaching of God (Ex. 20:12; 20:28, 21:17)

• a stinging rebuke
• cold hearts and empty words (Isa. 29:13)
• echoing the emptiness of human precepts

• Because Jesus desires your authentic worship, ponder the proximity of your heart to Him.
• Worship: “…quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God.” (W. Temple)

• after the feeding of the 5000
• Jesus dispatches, dismisses and departs (22-23)
• stage set for another miracle (Heb. 1:1-4)

• evening return to Capernaum (Jn. 6:16-21)
• beating waves and opposing wind

• in the fourth watch: 3:00-6:00 a.m.
• waking on the sea
• terror of the disciples
• assurance of Jesus: It is I (Job 9:8, Psa. 77:16-20; 107:23-32)

• success and failure
• coincidence of shifted attention
• request, rescue, wind cessation and awed worship

• Because Jesus is the Sovereign of the sea, trust Him to pilot you safely home.
• two important reminders
• “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me” (E. Hopper)

• escalating opposition to Jesus
• immediately following the blasphemous attribution of the Pharisees (22-32)
• rejection and reflection

• exposure of Pharisaical logic
• a tree known by its fruit
• fundamental matter of stewardship

• brood of vipers with a serious heart condition
• heart as root and words as fruit
• transmission of treasure

• accountability for careless words (Psa. 119:11; 141:3, Prov. 4:23)
• words as an indicator at the end
• complete contrast with culture
• commendable consistency of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:24)

• Because your words convey your heart’s treasure, resolve to value Jesus supremely.
• “There is nothing to show us that we have need of grace like the use of our mouths.” (Duncan)
• “You have never spoken a word that belongs to you because words belong to the Lord.” (Tripp)

• escalating opposition to Jesus and His ministry (12:1-50)
• followed by fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (15-21), charge of blasphemy against the Spirit (22-32), certainty of judgment (32-37) and sign of Jonah (38-42)
• The Sabbath and the Pharisees

• action of the disciples (Deut. 23:25) and objection of Pharisees (Ex. 34:21)
• Jesus cites the examples of David (1 Sam. 21:1-9) and temple priests (Lev. 24:8-9)
• argument from lesser to greater and prophetic reference (Hos. 6:6)
• significance of “Son of Man” designation

• a shriveled hand in the synagogue on the same day
• Pharisaical inquiry for the purpose of accusation and the counter-question of Jesus
• another argument from lesser to greater
• response to kindness: conspiring rather than rejoicing

• Knowing the superiority of Jesus over every individual and institution, recognize His authority and relay His mercy.
• “Legalism is always nailing a sign to the cross that says ‘necessary, but not enough.’”
• “Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here; sin would reduce me to utter despair; But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive, And He that first made me still keeps me alive.” (Stocker, “Thy Mercy My God”)

• Jesus as promised Messiah (11:1-19)
• John the Baptist and his question from prison (11:2-3)
• Jesus affirms His identity and the role of John the Baptist (11:4-15)
• John the Baptist and Jesus: both encounter opposition from the religious establishment (11:12)

• this generation: general and specific identification
• like children and their playmates
• proposal/refusal pattern: joy and mourning

• John the Baptist: separation from sin
• Jesus: association with sinners
• personification and vindication of wisdom

• Respond to the authority of Jesus by avoiding sin decisively and associating with sinners joyfully.
• Repent and rejoice. Mourn over your sin and magnify God’s grace to the sinner.
• Why you should delight in the designation “friend of sinners:”
• “Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.” (Chapman, “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners”)

• previously: the transcendent authority and transforming compassion of Jesus
• a repeated refrain to the called and sent disciples: fear not (26, 28, 31)
• Because of the Lord’s comprehensive control and care, live confidently in every circumstance.

• contextual connection to 10:24-25 and do not fear: the truth will prevail
• clear contrasts: covered/revealed, hidden/known, whispered/proclaimed
• anticipation of complete transparency

• do not fear: they can only kill you
• cultivation of the proper fear: holy reverence and spiritual comfort (Acts 9:31)

• two sparrows for a penny: intensity
• numbered hairs: intimacy
• do not fear: the Lord values you

• before men
• choosing death over denial

• Jesus refuses to disguise or minimize the cost of following Him.
• His eye really is on the sparrow!
• “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.” (Luther, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”)

• previously: authority over creation, the spiritual realm, disease, sin
• from transcendent authority to transforming compassion

• the initiative of Jesus
• the occupation of Matthew
• the invitation of Jesus and the immediate response
• the “rest of the story” with Matthew (Mark 2:13-17)

• significance of “tax collectors and sinners”
• reclined at table…

• the Pharisees question the disciples of Jesus (Psa. 1)
• the reality: connection between the physician and the sick
• the rebuke: misunderstanding of sin, the law and the prophets
• the remedy: go and learn (Hosea 6:6)

• Because Jesus is the Great Physician, rely on His cure and reflect His character.
• a word for recovering Pharisees: “We atone for sins that we are inclined to by damning those we have no mind for.”
• “Christ is the most tender-hearted Physician. He hath ended His passion but not His compassion. He is not more full of skill than sympathy. ‘He healed the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3). Every groan of the patient goes to the heart of the Physician.” (T. Watson)
• “The great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus…” (W. Hunter, “The Great Physician”)

• after healing two men with demons (8:28-34) and calming the storm (8:23-27)
• from Gadara back to Capernaum and its implications (9:1)
• from words of life (5-7) to deeds of power (8-9)

• some people brought the man to Him
• Jesus sees and says

• the scribes accuse Him of blasphemy (Lev. 24:16, Isa. 43:25)
• divine discernment and thoughtful interrogation

• purpose: that you may know
• rise…and he rose
• immediate cure and the impact of unprecedented authority

• If Jesus says you’re forgiven, you are.
• putting a finger on the pulse of the real problem
• “The degree to which you see your own need for forgiveness is the measure of how clearly you understand the gospel.” (S. Ferguson)
• “My sin, o the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul.” (H. Spafford, “It Is Well with My Soul”)

• conclusion of Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7): story of two hearers/builders
• immediate context: fruit inspection (15-20) and more than words (21-23)

• pattern of life marked by submission to teachings of Jesus
• present and future perspectives
• rock: safety/security and connection to “these words of mine”
• rain, floods, winds: no collapse

• pattern of life marked by lack of submission to teachings of Jesus (James 1:22)
• present and future perspectives
• sand: unstable/fragile and connection to “these words of mine”
• rain, floods, winds: catastrophic collapse

• high Christology (1 Cor. 3:11-15)
• contrast to other teaching sources
• storms of life? (Psa. 119:165)

• Since Jesus is the ultimate authority and determiner of your destiny, hear and do what he says.
• “…to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled…” (“How Firm a Foundation,” R. Keen)

• Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7): Serving God rules out serving money (6:19-24).
• A repeated command and a key reminder: Assured of God’s care, pursue His kingdom and conquer anxiety.

• the “world’s trinity of cares”:
• look at the birds…(food)
• consider the lilies…(clothing)
• the ineffectiveness of anxiety

• a Gentile obsession
• The Father’s knowledge
• antidote: a prioritized pursuit
• kingdom and righteousness

• facing your future
• tomorrow “personified”
• what we’re not promised

• Seize present privileges and remember that He who creates is He who sustains.