We find ourselves near the end of Jesus 3 years of ministry. The Cross is just days away now and Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure. He is focusing their eyes on heaven. His teachings are focused, His tone is different as is His appearance. Jesus is so patient
When you take a story out of context all you have is con. Be careful when someone takes a story out of context for when they do they are conning you!
To understand what Jesus is speaking of in chapter 20 you need to understand what He was saying at the end of chapter 19.
The rich young ruler has just walked away from Jesus sad as he wasn’t willing to sell all his possessions and follow Jesus. As I shared last week here is a guy who is possessed by his possessions. He had held all the commandments from his youth but Jesus being God knew what was in his heart. What was keeping the rich young ruler from becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. And Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for rich man to inherit the kingdom of heaven. It’s not impossible its just not easy as money can be a crutch that keeps people from trusting God and relying on Him and being dependent upon Him.
Why We Do What We Do
September 22, 2019 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 20:1–16
Betrayed
March 8, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 26:31–75
What did Jesus say? “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me...” It would have been better for all the disciples to agree with Jesus than to think they could alter the course of human history. Everything we do in this life fulfills the Word of God one way or another. Instead of fighting God’s Word, we need to learn to surrender to it, to accept and understand Father knows best. No one has ever proven God wrong. Ever.
Remember Me
March 1, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 26
Jesus Christ is transforming an ancient “Seder” meal into a different meaning. No longer does this speak up the temporary physical bondage out of Egypt but the permanent spiritual deliverance from sin. It's my blood. It's my body that is broken. And Jesus said, "You will do this often and you will do it in remembrance of me.
Undenying Love
February 23, 2020 • Mike Osthimer • Matthew 26:14–35
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests Judas as one of the 12 Only 12 people in human history had the privilege Judas had. Judas proved to be a bad man. English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon once said, "A bad man is worst when he pretends to be a saint." 15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. What will you give me? What they offered Judas says everything about the worth the chief priests and elders placed on Jesus. 30 pieces of silver for a slave that was gored to death by an ox of a neighbor. Exodus 21:32 “If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned” Judas Iscariot put the value of Jesus equal to that of a gored slave. Wow! The sin of covetous. The ungodly desire for more. “When I want something more than I want God” All sin leads to death. First its spiritual death and then ultimately its physical death. The first thing that goes with the sin of covetousness is my personal relationship with Jesus. It no longer brings me pleasure, its no longer enough. I begin to compromise my relationship with Jesus for more of something else. The pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of a relationship, the pursuit of anything that causes willful disobedience to the Word and will of God for my life.