Jesus Questions the Leaders

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. The religious leaders of Jesus' day could never sing that song because the one thing they didn't want was Jesus. He came into the city on that Monday. He came into the city, and as he came, he cried over that city. On Tuesday, he would return to the city. Matthew's account says that he cursed the fig tree as he went into the city. When he arrived, he cleansed the temple that was there in Jerusalem. Upon cleansing that temple, he conquered. He conquered disease by curing those who were lame and those who were blind.

And then he would begin to communicate the truth of the gospel. He would come back again on that Wednesday and continue communicating the truth of the gospel as well as confronting the religious leaders through the parables that he would give concerning their hypocrisy. They would respond to those parables that Christ gave and ask him three specific questions. And then he would come and he would counter those questions by Answering everything that they had asked. One question was a political question, one was a theological question, and one was a spiritual question.

We told you last week that. Luke records two of those questions. Matthew records all three of those questions. When they were done, they were un to. Ask any more questions. They didn't know what else to say. They had come at him with everything that they had. Politically, theologically, and spiritually. The questions that they asked were the questions that were uppermost on their mind and that they believed they could trap the Messiah and get him to cave in. But he is. The Son of God. And so they could not ask him any more questions.

And so now Jesus goes on the offensive. And Jesus now will ask them only one question. Only one. And if Jesus was to ask only one question, it would be life's most important. Question. It's the last week of our Lord's life. He is going to make sure that He communicates the truth as clearly as He possibly can so that people will come to the saving knowledge of Christ our Lord. And so he's going to ask him one partic question. Luke records it. This is what it says: Luke chapter 20, verse number 41.

And he said to them, How is it that they say the Christ is David's son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet. David, therefore, calls him Lord. And how is he his son? That is life's most important question, simply because Jesus on the last week of his life asks only one question. To the religious leaders, that they must answer because everything about life today and tomorrow centers around how you answer that partic question.

It is the question. It's about David's son. Who is he? It's about David's Lord. Who is he? It all centers around the identity of Jesus Christ our Lord. That is the question. Who is Jesus Christ? Who is the Messiah of Israel? For how you answer that question tells us where you stand with Jesus Christ. All false religions deny that Jesus is God, whether it's Mormonism, whether it's Buddhism, whether it's Jehovah's Witnesses. wh it's Scientology, whether it's Islam, no matter what it is, all false religions deny that Jesus is God.

Jesus, they say, well, he was a man, he was a noble man, he was maybe even a prophetic man, he was even a great man, but he wasn't God. And that's okay with Satan because that is part of Satan's agenda. To get you to believe that Jesus is not God, because if Jesus is not God, Jesus is not the Savior. If Jesus is not the Savior, the Bible is False, if the Bible is false, Christianity is a farce, therefore we can all go home and close the doors. That's Satan's objective. In fact, over in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse number 4, Paul says this.

In whose case the God of this world, which is Satan, has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God? In other words, Satan's whole objective is to blind the mind of the unbeliever so that he doesn't see that Jesus is God. That's his objective. So he's fine with Mormonism. He's fine with J's Witnesses. He's fine with Islam. He is fine with Scientology. He's fine with all those people because they have convinced those in that religious system that Jesus is not God.

And that is the question. Because if Jesus is God, then he is the Savior of the world. If He is the only Savior of the world, then the Bible is correct. If the Bible is correct, Christianity is true. And that's where we stand. That's why our doors are open. Because we believe in those facts. And so the question comes: what do the Jews believe? About the Messiah. I mean, after all, Romans tells us that the oracles of God were given to them. The scriptures were given to the Jews. What did they believe about Jesus the Messiah?

Did the Jews believe that the Messiah would be divine? That's a very important question. Because you have to go back to the Old Testament to ask what is it the Jewish people believe about their coming Messiah? They knew he'd be a man. But would he be a div man, a God man? Would the Messiah be divine? There was much confusion in Israel about that because, you see, the Sadducees, who were the rulers, the Sanhedrin, the chief priests, and the high priests. Did not believe in the supernatural. We talked about that last week.

They didn't believe in the resurrection. They didn't believe in the spirit. They didn't believe in angels. So, because of that, they didn't believe in the supernatural. But they were the hierarchy of the religious establishment in Israel. And so their whole operation was to convince the Jewish nation that the Messiah would not be God. Although the Old Testament says that he would be. For example, Isaiah 9: that the son given, the child that is born, would be called El Gab, in other words, the might God.

So, whoever the son is, the child that's born, the son that's given, he's going to be the mighty God. On top of that, He is going to be the everlasting Father or the Father of eternity or best translation, the originator of eternity. So, in order to be the originator of eternity, you must be what? Eternal. That's what the Old Testament says. You can go to Micah 5, verse number 2, where they all knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. And the one that's born is from everlasting to everlasting, making the one born everlasting.

And only God is everlasting. So, in their own theology, in their own Old Testament, there would be the proof that the Messiah would be eternal, making him divine. Very important to understand that. You also have a passage of scripture like Jeremiah 23, which says, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I shall raise up for David a righteous branch. The se, the title for the Messiah. I 'm going to raise up a righteous branch. Who was that? That's going to be the Messiah. And he will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.

In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely. And this is his name by which he will be called. What's his name? The Lord, our right. So, no matter what you think about what the Jews believed in their Old Testament scripture. And many others outside of these that I've just given you proclaim the fact that the Messiah would have to be not just a man, but be divine. And the psalm that Jesus quotes on this day, Psalm 110, verse number 1, speaks to that exact fact. That the Son of David, who is the Lord, is the eternal God.

So there's no way you can get around it. Even though they tried to manipulate the text and tried to somehow change the different things. They did not want to come to grips with the fact that Jesus was that Messiah and that Jesus was God. Very important to understand. And so when you come back to Luke chapter 20, what you have is that Jesus confronts. The religious establishment with one question that silences them forever. He will discuss with them the most important m. So there is a question. From that question comes a quotation, and from that quotation comes a quand, a quandary for those who hear the answer to the question.

Okay? So, first of all, the question. You must go back to Mat Account and Mark's account to understand exactly how the flow of the text goes. Remember, they are the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And to understand exactly what is being said, you must bring in Matthew's account and Mark's account to understand how the conversation went. So turn back to me, if you would, to Matthew's account, Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 22, verse number 41. It says Now, while the Pharisees were gathered together, why were they gathered together?

Because they had sent one of their own to ask the question concerning that which is spiritual. Remember, the Herodians had come and asked the political question, the Sadducees had come and asked the theological question, and the Pharisees had come and they asked the spiritual question. And so they're all still hanging around, milling together. And it says in verse number 41 that while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question. Okay, here's the question. What do you think about the Christ, the Messiah?

Whose Son is he? That's the question. They said to him, David. Now you can imagine how it must have gone down. Jesus asked the question, and they have to. There's a great multitude, according to Mark's account, that were around Jesus and the religious establishment during this time. A great multitude, a great crowd. Not just a small crowd, a great crowd. And so the Pharise have to present a good front. They have to look intelligent. They have to look smart. Okay? So Jesus asked the question. You can imagine what must have been going through their mind when Jesus asked the question.

Oh, we know the answer to this one. We got the answer. So Jesus asked the question: whose son is he? David. As if they would look to everybody else, that they were so smart. David. Now go back to Luke's account because this is what an er picks in Luke's account. Then it says in verse 41 of Luke chapter 20, how is it that they say the Christ, the Messiah, Is David's son. Okay, so we ask the question: whose son is he? They say David. So, how is it they say that the Christ is David's son? For he himself has said.

Now, this is important because Jesus is the Son of David. And everybody in the room that day or on the Temple Mount that day belie that. How do we know they believe that Jesus was a son of David? Well, before the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, they kept meticulous records. Of everybody's lineage. They knew where everybody was from. That's why, during the whole ministry of Christ, no one ever questioned the fact that Jesus was a son of David. Because you can bet your life that those religious leaders would go down to the temple to figure out: is this really a son of David?

And they knew that because of Mary, who was a descendant of David through Nathan, according to Luke chapter 3. And that Joseph is the descendant of David through Solomon, according to Matthew chapter 1, they would know that Jesus was a son of David. And he was hailed as the son of David. And this is what irked them so much because he was more than just a son of David, he was the son. Of David. Big difference. Because David had a multitude of descendants. But for the multitude to say that this was the son.

David would imply the fact that if this is the son of David, and the Old Testament taught that the son of David is the Lord of righteousness, that means he must be divine, and they've already attributed all of his works to Satan. They have a problem. In fact, go back with me, if you would, in Matthew's account, Matthew chapter 9. In Matthew chapter 9. Verse number 27, these words were spoken. Matthew:. And as Jesus passed on, From there, two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, Have mercy on us.

Son of David. This is before the 12 were commissioned to go out and preach the gospel, right after Matthew had been called. There were two blind guys. Blind people who knew more than the seen religious leaders knew that this was the son of David. Go over to Matthew chapter 12, verse number 22. Then there was brought to him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and he healed him. So that the dumb man spoke and saw, and all the multitudes were amazed and began to say, This man cannot be the son of David, can he?

Not just a son of David, the son of David can he and then you go over to Matthew chapter 15. Matthew chapter 15, it says this in verse number 21. And Jesus went away from there and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region and began to cry out, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord. Son of David, my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed. So you have the blind men crying out that he is the son of David. You have blind and dumb men crying out that he is the.

Son of David. You have the multitudes crying out that he is the son of David. You have the Canaanite woman crying out that he is the son of David. It's esc As time goes on. And then you go over to chapter 20. Chapter 20 of Matthew, verse number 29. And as they were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing. That Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David. Again, they recognized as blind men that Jesus.

Is Lord, and that he is son of David. This is in Jericho, right before the triumphal entry. And as he makes his way up to Jerusalem, what is said? Matthew chapter 21, verse number 9. And the multitudes were going before him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And then down in verse number 15, it says, But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he had done, and the children who were crying out in the temple saying, Hosanna to the Son of David.

I mean, it's escalated beyond anything that they could ever imagine that everybody was believing that this Jesus was not just a son, but the son of David. So he is David's greater s. Now, if the Old Testament is correct, which we believe it is because it's the inspired word of God, the son of David is the branch who is the Lord of righteousness. Who is the Son that is given, the child that is born, is called the El Gab, the might God, the everlasting Father, the Father of eternity. That means this Son of God is.

God in the flesh. And that would go against what the Sadducees would teach because they didn't believe in the supernatural. It would go along with what the Pharisees taught, but they didn't accept Jesus as Son of God. Son of David. See that? It all comes together for you as you begin to understand. So Jesus poses this question. He has to get them to respond. He has to put them out on the proverbial limb and put them out there so that they have nothing to say. So we ask them life's most important question.

The conversation begins. With whose son is the Christ, the Messiah? It's David. Now listen. This is life's most important question because nobody ever gets saved without believing that the Messiah is God. That's how you knew that the Jews in the Old Testament believed that the Messiah would be God because they had to believe the same thing that you and I believe to be saved. Things didn't change. St be same thing. Unless you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, the Messiah of Israel, you can't be saved.

That's why John says in John 20, 30, and 31, many of the signs that Jesus do, but these are recorded, these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. And that believing in him, you might have life in his name or through his name. Over in John chapter 5. John chapter 5. Verse number 37, these words are written, and the Father who sent me, he has borne witness of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. And you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him who Whom he sent.

If you don't believe in the one whom the Father sent, you cannot be saved. Over in 1 John chapter 2, verse number 22, these words are recorded. It says, Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah? Why? Because the Messiah had to be div. And it says this: This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also. Okay? So in order to know the Father and to be in a relationship with the Father, You must know the Son whom he sent.

That's why I love the book of Hebrews, which by the way will be our next study after the study of Luke, when it says in Hebrews chapter 1, verse number 8, but of the Son He says, who says? God the Father. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. That's from Psalm 45. So the father says, to the son, he says, oh God. So the father calls the son. God, your throne is established forever and ever. See, it's undeniable that the Jews would have to believe that the Messiah, the son of David, would be divine.

So Jesus has to corner them, put them in that proverbial corner that says, okay, this is what the Bible says.

What do you believe? Because remember, these are religious leaders. They are the ones who are holding to the truth. They're the ones who are trying to lead the nation into the truth. But he told them already that they lead the people and make them sons of hell, doubly sons of hell, because they teach the wrong thing. So now he must get them to ask or to answer the question that he asks that they might real who he is. And what they believe or don't believe about his identity. And so, if you go back to Luke's Gospel, we have this question that Christ asks.

We see it from Matthew's account. Whose son is the Christ, the Messiah? David! David! Now that's the right answer. That is the right answer. But it's not the fu answer. It 's deficient because it doesn't encompass everything that the Old Testament taught. It is true that the Messiah would be the son of David. That's unquestionable. But whether or not he would be divine would be something el. So, Jesus, after ask the question, gives a quotation. That's why Jesus is so good because again, like last week, he uses the Word of God to answer questions.

To clarify issues. That's why it's so important for you to know the Word of God. Because when someone asks you a question, your opinion doesn't mean anything to anybody but you. But you're authoritative when you say, thus saith the Lord, or the Bible says, or God has said this in his word.

That gives you authority because it's an authority outside of yourself. It's an objective authority based on divine truth that God has given that allows you to speak with authority. I can't come up here and speak with authority just by giving you my opinion because nobody even likes my opinion. My wife does every once in a while. But not most of the time. Okay? It's when I speak the word of God and say, thus saith the Lord, that's what gives the pastor or the parishioner any kind of authority whatsoever.

He speaks and quotes the word of God. Jesus didn't have to do this, but he did it. Because he drives them back to the text they say they believed. Now, listen, Psalm 110, verse number 1. Is universally accepted by the Jews as Messianic. Note this: that after this incident, And after Jesus died, the Jews would change the interpretation of Psalm 110, and they would attribute it to three different individuals. One would be Abraham. I don know how they did that. Another would be Melchizedek. And the third, which became the popular one, would be Judas Maccabe.

This is important. And Judas Maccabe reigned and ruled between 143 B and 135 B.C. And what the Jews did was they rearranged the Hebrew to come up with an ac. That would spell out Judas Maccabe. They were the original, listen, Bible code people. They were. You ever seen those books about the Bible codes? It's hogwash. All of it's hogwash. From the Greek word hag. It means absolutely nothing because this is what the Jews did. To counteract the divine, they came up with Bible codes to reinterpret the scriptures.

And people would buy into that. So now, today, people have used Bible codes to get people to buy their books and somehow learn how to interpret the Bible. That is the most ridiculous, most ludicrous thing I've ever heard of. But even Christians buy into that hogwash. That's ridiculous. So what Jesus does is take them back to Psalm 110 verse number 1, which was universally accepted. And listen, in the Middle Ages, they went back to the universal interpretation from the Middle Ages till now.

That this psalm was completely messianic. That's important. So Jesus goes from the question. A question: Whose son is the Messiah? David! David, we got the answer. We got it right. Oh, we get 100% on the test. We're one for one. And so, what Jesus does then is ask the question, the follow-up question. He says, How is it that they say the Christ, the Messiah, is David's son? For David him says in the book of Psalms, Psalm 1, verse number 1. The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy fe.

Here's the question. Why are you calling Messiah David's son only when David him said that the Messiah was his Lord? Before Messiah was even born, that's how he answers the question. And that he will have a place of equal authority and equal position because he will sit down at the right hand of God the Father, making him equal with God. And he will subject all enemies unto his feet. Now, that's a phrase that deals with execution. How do we know that? Book of Joshua, 10th chapter, the 24th verse.

Joshua 10, verse number 24. And it came about when they brought these kings, there were five kings brought to Joshua. That Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war, who had gone with them, Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings. So they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua then said to them, Do not fear or be dismayed. Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight. So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees, and they hung on the trees until evening.

What he is saying is that the Messiah will come and subject all his enemies and all the enemies of God under his feet. They will be executed. Because he has equal right and position at the right hand of God the F. So Jesus asks. You have said that the Messiah is the son of David, and you are right. But is he only David's son? If he is, why is it in Psalm 110, verse number 1, that he Quotes that verse and says, David calls him Lord. So let's look at it.

He says, Okay, the Lord, Yahweh, said to my Lord, Arun. Okay? Now listen carefully. In the Greek Septuagint, which is the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, it's translated this way. The Lord, Kyri, said to my Lord, Kyrios. Okay, the word for Lord in the Greek. Now listen.

Every time Yave is translated into the Greek, in the Greek Septuag, it's always translated. Curios without exception. Without exception. So David Is hearing a conversation between God the Father and his Messiah, who is called Lord. That means before Messiah is born, the son of David is born. He is already called Lord in existence, making the Messiah eternal. If the Messiah then is eternal and only God is eternal, that makes the Son of David what? Eternal. Everlasting. And that's where he has them.

He has them trapped by using the Old Testament scripture that they adhere to. To show them that he is not just the son of David or just a son of David, he is the son of David, the Messiah of Israel, who is divine. The Lord God, who is eternal. If he was just an ancestor of David. That would come down the ro, then why is it he calls him Lord in the present tense? Do you think, not think that verb tenses and prepositions and biblical interpretation is crucial? It's absolutely crucial. That's what he got the Sadducees on in the last conversation in Luke's record because they did not interpret the scriptures correctly.

Everything about life and godliness pertains to how you interpret Scripture, that you must interpret it exactly as the Lord has spoken it. Or you cannot live the kind of life God wants you to live. These people refused to interpret the scripture literally, even though they said they were literalists. They refuse to take it at face value and realize that David is, or that David is, that David's son, excuse me, would be not only just the Messiah. But he would be the eternal God that was in existence when Psalm 110 was written, and he would say it in the present tense.

All that leads to the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh. So important to understand. To make sure you understand it, Matthew's account says. David himself says in the spirit. Mark's account says he said it in the Holy Spirit. So, just so you make sure you got it right, Matthew says he said it in the Spirit, but just to make sure it wasn't the human spirit, Mark says he said it in the Holy Spirit. So, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, David wrote Psalm 110, verse number 1, that calls the Lord the Messiah, the eternal God, His Son, the Messiah.

See that? That's why it's so important to understand this. Jesus exposited Psalm 110 for them. He told them exactly what it meant. By the way, Psalm 110 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. It's quoted in all three Gospels. It's quoted in 1 Corinthians 15, 25, Hebrews 1, verse number 13, Hebrews 10, verse number 13, And Acts 2, verses 3 to 3. And one day when Jesus comes, the Messiah, returns, he will subject all of his enemies under his feet. And he will rule and reign for all eternity.

So you have a question, and you have a quotation. And now you have a quand, a dilemma on the part of those listening. It says over in Matthew 22, verse number 46, these words. And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him another question. No one dared ask him any other question. Why? Because they knew that he was absolutely right. And they were afraid to ask any of the questions because they would be completely exposed as hypocrites. They were afraid. They found themselves in a huge dilemma.

What do we do now? Here we think we have them with these questions. We ask the questions, he diffuses everything that we thought we could achieve, and now he asks us the question. We answer it aggressively, and he just blows us up. Now, what do we do? They can't answer. They have nothing else to say. Listen, if you don't believe that Jesus is God, you have nothing to say, nothing at all to say. Because that's everything. That's everything. You need to believe what the Bible says concerning the deity of Jesus Christ our Lord.

One author said this way, If Christ is not divine, then lay the book away, and every blessed faith resign that has no long been yours and mine through many a trying day. Forget the place of bended knee, And dream no more of worlds to be. If Christ is not divine, go seal again the tomb. Take down the cross, redemption sign. Quench all the stars of hope that shine, And let us turn and travel on ac the night that know no dawn. Christ is divine. He is God in the flesh. What do you believe about the Christ?

What do you believe about the Messiah of Israel? What do you believe about Jesus, our Lord? There was one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. Jesus was a 100% man. Jesus was a hundred percent God. He is forever the God man. I love how the book of Revelation closes. In Revelation chapter 22, verse number 16, it closes with an invit. And the invitation begins as all invitations should begin with the id of the Christ. The invitation in Revelation chapter 22 deals with the identity of Christ, the exclusivity of heaven, the finality of Scripture, the certainty of his return, and the availability of his grace.

But it begins with the identity of Christ, and it says this in verse 16: I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am. The root and the off of David, the bright morning st. Now, how many times have we told you that in Numbers 24, verse number 17, there will be a star that rises out of Jacob? So every Jew knew the Messiah would be a star that rises out of Jacob. But he would also be a son of David. And I, Jesus, am The root and offspring of David. In other words, I am the source of David's life and line, and I am the son of David's life and line.

I am son and I am sovereign. I am both. How could it be both? Because he is the God-man. That's how. He is the bright and morning star. He is the eternal God. That's why the book of Revelation begins in Revelation chapter 1. As John sees the resurrected, glorified Christ, and he falls down on his face before him. And Christ says, do not be afraid, I am the first and the last and the living one, and I was dead.

And behold, I am alive forevermore. So how can the living God die? The only way he can die is if he becomes man. I am the living one. I was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. How can that be? Because I hold the keys to death in Hades. I'm in control. I'm in charge of everything. I am the sovereign God. That's why over in Romans 9, verse number 5, it says, God, I'm sorry, Christ is God blessed forever. Romans 9:5. Christ the Messiah is God bless forever. And that's why we quoted Hebrews 1, verse number 8 earlier.

Where God the Father calls his Son God. Over in 1 John 5, verse number 20, it says that Christ is the true God and eter life. Oh, I wish I had the time to take you through the book of Isaiah to show you all the characteristics of the Lord God Jehovah and how Christ matches all those characteristics in the New Testament. That He is the Lord of glory, that He is the Creator, that He is the one where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father, taken right from Isaiah chapter 45.

It's right from the Old Testament. And so you begin to see that Jesus is exactly who he said he was. Now, here's the key thing to this whole thing. Go back with me, if you would, to Mark's Gospel, Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. Jesus is done speaking. Matthew tells us that no one dared ask him any more questions. They were scared to death to even open their mouth around Jesus. And they certainly didn't want Him asking them any more questions. Look what it says in verse number 37. And the great crowd en listening to him.

The great crowd. Boy, they enjoyed this. They loved every aspect of this. You can imagine what, because at this point, they still hail him as the son of David. They still see him as their Messiah. At this point, they see Jesus as Messiah. They see him proving his point. To the Pharisees, they enjoyed listening to what Jesus said. Why? Because He got the leaders. But just because they enjoyed listening to what he said does not mean they were enlightened as to what he said. There's a big difference there.

There's a lot of people who go to church who enjoy listening to what was said. When someone comes to church and you ask them what church to go to and they say, I really enjoy that church, put them in the category of Mark chapter 12. Of the people on the Temple Mount who listened to Jesus, who loved listening to Jesus, who enjoyed everything Jesus said, but were never enlightened as to what it was they were to believe what Jesus said. Big difference to enjoying what Jesus says has to be enlightening or enlightened to what Jesus says.

Remember back in Ezekiel chapter 33? Back in Ezekiel chapter 33, these words are recorded. About the prophet Ezekiel. God says, But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls.

And in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, Come now and hear what the message is which comes from the Lord. And they come to you as people come and sit before you as my people and hear your words, but they do not do them. They do not do them. For they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. And behold, you are to them like a sensual song. By one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear your words, but they do not practice them.

So when it comes to pass, as surely it will, then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst. Oh, they love to hear what you say. They tell their neighbors, come and listen.

He's like a sensual song. He is such a great orator. Come and listen to what he says. And Jesus says, they come.

But they do not put into pract that which you say. I wonder today how many of you have come and enjoyed listening but do absolutely nothing with what you hear. If that's you, you can mark yourself with those on the temple grounds that day. Who enjoyed listening to Jesus, but never acted upon the fact that He is the divine Messiah of Israel, who demands sub. To his lordship, would it be that those of us here today would have come to the place in our lives where we submit ourselves to the divine Lord of the universe?

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. To confess Jesus as Lord means that I am completely sub. To who He is and what He said. He is my King, He is my Master, He is my Lord. I am no longer Master of my life. I am no longer King of my life. Jesus is that King and Lord, and I serve only him. And I follow him. That's what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Christ. Why would Christ even ask the question?

Why would he go there? Because there was a member of the Sanhedrin. One of the seventy. His name was Joseph of Arimath. Joseph would be one who would take the body of Jesus along with Nicodemus. And he would be buried in Joseph's tomb. Why would Jesus even broach the question? Simply because he is the consummate ev. He came to seek and to save that which is lo. Was he trying to embarrass them? Was he trying to ridicule them? Was he trying to tear them down and break them apart? No, he was trying to get them to confess him as Lord.

He was trying to bring them to a place of repentance. He was trying to get them to see the reality of his identity. He wanted them to voice it. He wanted them to submit to it. This is the grace of God still at work. It's the last thing He asks. It's the last thing he asks because it's the only thing that matters. Who am I? Do you believe that I am David's son? If you believe I'm David's son, you must believe I am divine. If you believe I am divine, you Believe I am the Lord God of Israel. If so, you must.

Fall on bended knee and submit to my authority. And they would not. But our Lord would continue. Even on this last day, it's late in the day on Wednesday. There's one more scene which we will see next week. And then he'll go off into the night to the garden on the Mount of Olives. And he'll go into a long dissertation with his men about the return of the king, the Messiah of Israel. So that they understand the essence of the kingdom because they were going to be representatives of that kingdom. And so we'll spend many weeks on what is called the Olive Discourse.

Why? Because we are now the representatives of God's kingdom. We must understand kingdom life. We must understand what the kingdom will be like because we must effectively represent that kingdom. But here was our Lord giving them one more opportunity. And maybe this is your one more opportunity. To embrace Christ as Lord and follow Him with all of your heart. We pray. With you. Father, we thank you for today, just a chance to be in your word. What a joy it is to be able to study it together. You are magnificent.

On how you ask questions, how you answer them. We are so blessed to be able to read the Word of God and see what it is you said and how you said it. And our prayer is for all who are here today. If there just be one person who would say, Yes, I believe that Jesus is Lord. He is the divine Messiah of Israel. I will give my life to him. Oh Lord, what a blessing that would be. All heaven would rejoice over one sinner. Who repents? We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our soon coming King. Amen.