If I asked you to give me a top 5 list of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible, I know we would get a very accurate sampling of verses. But I think I’m probably right to think that our verse this morning is usually not at the forefront of our minds when we think about that question.
How do you get this one wrong?
Isn’t this as straightforward as it gets?
Isn’t this one of the simplest verses in all the Bible to understand?
How could someone possibly misunderstand and misapply a verse that gives us what we commonly refer to as “The Golden Rule?”
Well, as strange as it might seem, I would contend that this is a regularly misunderstood verse of Scripture.
What Matthew 7:1 is to people who want to justify their sin, Matthew 7:12 is to people who want to justify themselves.
This verse is, to unbelievers, the great common ground upon which all human beings should be able to agree and unite.
“Can we not all agree at least on this — that we should all treat other people in the way that we want to be treated?”
Even unbelievers are quick to agree, “This is a great piece of common wisdom.” “I don’t believe, as you do that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, that He was God incarnate, that He is the only Savior of the World, but I will agree that He was a wise man, and this is one of His wise sayings.”
Others would say, “Can’t we see that this is a kind of wisdom common to men? After all, we can find similar statements in ancient literature. Yes, it is true that those statements are in the negative, telling us that we must not do to someone else what we would not want done to us. The statement of Jesus differs in that it is put in the positive. But they are really saying the same thing, are they not?”
And I would be prepared to agree with them, that if this was the only difference between a statement made by some worldly philosopher, and the statement that our Lord makes here, it really wouldn’t amount to any great difference.
Whether you are stating in negatively or positively, it would really amount to the same thing.
BUT I WANT TO CONTEND TODAY, THAT JESUS IS ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE PHILOSOPHERS.
I want to contend that this is a highly misunderstood verse of Scripture, and that the common understanding of it would only produce a kind of life that wouldn’t please God at all.
The way this verse is often read would only amount to yet another kind of moralism. Another empty and failing attempt at self-righteousness — another attempt to be “good people.”
This morning I want to offer, from our text, three questions we should ask to make sure we read the golden rule properly. Three questions by which we may make sure that we have a godly reading of the golden rule.
I. THE GOLDEN RULE AND THE WORD OF GOD (BY WHAT STANDARD?)
The first question that we must ask is, “By what standard is the golden rule to be practiced?”
Someone says, “Well, isn’t it obvious? If I am to do unto others what I would desire done to me, then the standard of practice is the standard of my own desires. Isn’t that what the verse indicates?
Well, in a sense, yes. But in a VERY CLEAR sense, the answer to that is no.
This statement must be taken in its context if it is to be rightly understood.
The “so” to begin verse 12 links it with the previous instruction. The closing words of verse 12 understand the rule as a SUMMARY of the entire revelation of God — THE BIBLE.
That is, the Bible as it had been given up to that day.
This is not a standard that operates in a way divorced from God’s revelation.
This is not life lived by the standard of self-contained desires, ideas, aims and ambitions.
This is not a standard represented BY AN UNBELIEVER’S LIFE.
This verse is bracketed by two indicators that make plain that the standard is, in fact, GOD’S STANDARD.
This is a summary of the sermon on the mount. So, the way to live out THIS SERMON, is to do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
This is a summary of the law and the prophets. So, the way to live our WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES is to do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
It is not, therefore, by a PERSONAL standard that the rule is to be understood. Rather, it is a personal standard that is informed by the knowledge of God’s standard.
Decision
Matthew 7:13-14
March 13, 2022 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Matthew 7:13–14
Enemies of The Resurrected Christ
April 21, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Matthew 28:1–10
Introduction: Matthew tells us of two disciples, two women, who met with the wonder of the resurrection through an encounter with an angel and then met with the resurrected Christ Himself. These women were characterized by devotion, amazement, worship, joy, and an immediate desire to obey the instruction they were given and to report the good news to the Lord’s disciples. But, as we have seen with the crucifixion of Jesus, and the burial of Jesus, we now meet with response of Christ’s enemies to the resurrection of Jesus. What do we see in the enemies of Christ as they respond to the reality that He has been raised from the dead? Tonight, we see four characteristics of these enemies of Christ as they respond to His resurrection. I. UNWILLING RECIPIENTS OF MERCY (vs.11) After all the ways that the chief priests, along with the other religious leaders of the Jews, had sinned — blasphemy, lying, manipulation, mockery, cruelty, MURDER — they are now receiving a report. The guards who had been charged with securing the tomb, now made their way to the chief priests to tell them about everything that had happened. These men now knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that everything Jesus promised about His death and resurrection was true. REMEMBER, they claimed that if Jesus was delivered from death, they would believe in Him. ESV Matthew 27:42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Yes, they were talking about Him coming down from the cross, but what they heard about now was even greater. HE WAS DELIVERED BY GOD AFTER DYING. THEY ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT THEY KNEW THAT JESUS CLAIMED THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. They called that DECEPTION. They said that He was a deceiver. ESV Matthew 27:63 and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." WELL, NOW THEY KNEW THAT HE WASN’T A DECEIVER. THEY RECEIVED NEWS FROM THE GUARDS: They heard about the earthquake. They heard about the angel and his dazzling appearance. They heard about the empty tomb. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS MERCY THAT THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE STILL ALIVE TO HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS. God could have justly struck them dead for what they had done with His Son. But here they are given another opportunity. Here was their opportunity for repentance. Here was their opportunity to fall on their faces and admit their sinful foolishness and their need for forgiveness, and the truth — Jesus is the Messiah. II. BRAZEN OPPONENTS OF THE TRUTH (vs.12-13) What do they do instead? They prove themselves to be BRAZEN. Bold, without shame, when they should have been full of shame. The chief priests gather with the elders, and they decide to SPREAD A LIE. NOTE: THIS RESPONSE PROVES THAT IT WAS NEVER REALLY ABOUT EVIDENCE. This is one of the most amazing things the world has ever seen. A man is questioned about signs that would prove He is the Messiah. He answers that the sign will be His resurrection. They take steps to kill Him. He is then raised from the dead. You hear this from eyewitnesses who are not motivated to lie about this. YET YOU DON’T STOP YOUR OPPOSITION? IT PROVES THAT WHAT THE JEWISH LEADERS DID, THEY DID DESPITE EVIDENCE, NOT FOR LACK OF IT. This has never changed. People claim that they don’t believe because they don’t have enough evidence when the evidence that they have is already overwhelming to any honest mind. NOTE: NEVER THINK THAT PEOPLE ENTER THE KINGDOM BY INTELLECTUAL PERSUASION. THEY ENTER THE KINGDOM WHEN THEY ARE BORN AGAIN. What you see in these religious leaders is the fruit of their sinful natures. This is SINFUL UNBELIEF. This is STUBBORN UNBELIEF. This is DISHONEST, WILLFUL, UNBELIEF. And so, they choose to construct a lie and convince the guards to disseminate their lie. HOW DO THEY INCENTIVIZE THESE GUARDS TO SPREAD THEIR LIE? MONEY. AND IT WAS NO SMALL SUM OF MONEY. Whatever it took to get the guards to do it, they paid them. NOTE, ONCE AGAIN, THE INCREDIBLE BLINDNESS THAT SIN PRODUCES. WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS WORTH YOUR SOUL? YOU JUST WITNESSED AN ANGEL. WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD EVER WORTH DENYING WHAT YOU JUST SAW? But mankind, in the blindness of his sin is willing to throw away FOREVER in order to have riches RIGHT NOW. THE LIE WAS LUDICROUS. “The guards are asleep, and the disciples came and stole him away.” “YOU MEAN THEY QUIETLY ROLLED THAT STONE AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOMB?” “YOU MEAN YOU SLEPT THROUGH IT ALL?” THE LIE, FROM THEIR VANTAGEPOINT, ONLY HAD TO BE CONVINCING TO THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM IT MATTERED.
Christ Disciples & His Resurrection
April 21, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Matthew 28:1–10
Introduction: God is giving testimony to His Son. He does so at the cross. He does so at His burial. He does so through the means of providence. He does so through the means of miracles. In every case He is fulfilling His Word. His testimony to His Son a testimony of fulfilled Scripture. In each case, we are presented with two responses. We are told how the disciples of Jesus are responding, and we are told how the enemies of Jesus are responding. Now we arrive at the greatest sign of all. Was Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God? Was Jesus the King of Israel? Was Jesus the Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away sins? IS THERE A WAY FOR ALL OF OUR SINS TO BE FORGIVEN? IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO BE RECONCILED TO OUR CREATOR? IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE — TO LIVE WITH SALVATION’S LIFE FOREVER? GOD’S ANSWER IS YES, AND THE PREEMINENT WAY THAT HE SAYS “YES” IS BY RAISING HIS SON FROM THE DEAD. You will remember that Jesus made reference to the prophet Jonah in the belly of the fish, and compared that to His resurrection, and HE CALLED IT A SIGN. The sign of the prophet Jonah. ESV Matthew 12:39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Today we look at THAT SIGN — the resurrection of Jesus — and as we do, we will once again see two responses. This morning, we look at the response of disciples; tonight, we will look at the response of His enemies. We look at verses 1-10 under three headings. I. HEAVENLY WONDERS WITH GREAT FEAR (vs.1-4) The Sabbath day was over. The first day of the week (Sunday), which began with sundown the previous day, had reached the time when the sun dawns. Matthew tells us about two women. Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph (27:56). John tells us that these two women came when it was still dark (20:1). Mark (16:1-8) and Luke (24) told us the sun was just coming up. Morning is breaking and a new day is dawning in every sense of the word. These two women were not alone. Mark tells us that Salome was with them, Luke mentions Joanna, and other women (Luke 24:10), but Matthew focuses on these two Mary’s. Why were they coming? They were bringing spices to anoint the body of Jesus (Mark 16:1). WHY? WHEN NICODEMUS BROUGHT SPICES FOR CHRIST’S BURIAL? Perhaps these two women had watched that preparation and recognized that it was rushed, due to time, and wanted to do it more carefully. Or, maybe they simply wanted to demonstrate their own love for Jesus, honoring Him this way as well. BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THE TOMB, IT IS NOT AS THEY EXPECTED. Now, let me say that when you look at the four gospel accounts and the details concerning what these women met with at the tomb, it can be a bit confusing. And EVERYONE trying to put a timeline together of the events, can put one together that makes sense of the differences, but NO ONE can know for certain if they have reconstructed things exactly. You have four different accounts, reflecting eyewitness testimony, that you can be sure is inerrant (it is God’s Word), but differing due to the differing roles and circumstances of the people involved. So, instead of doing a harmony of these events, I simply want to focus on what Matthew emphasized in his account. A. BEFORE THE WOMEN ARRIVED
The Burial of Jesus Part 2
April 14, 2024 • Richard Caldwell Jr. • Matthew 27:62–66
Introduction: One of the ways that our God is exalted in Scripture is with the recognition that no one can withstand His will. ESV Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. “The peoples plot in vain.” “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” David amplifies a general truth, but looks forward to a specific situation. ANYONE who plots against the will of God, plots in vain. NO ONE is a threat to God’s will. He laughs at imagined rivals. But that truth was demonstrated in the life of God’s Son. That Psalm is magnified by the early church when Peter and John are threatened by the council. ESV Acts 4:21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'-- 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. As I said, this is a general truth about God that the Scriptures celebrate. God exalts Himself through Isaiah when He draws a contrast between the so-called gods of false religion that have no real existence, and living God whose will is irresistible. ESV Isaiah 46:3 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; 4 even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. 5 "To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? 6 Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! 7 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. 8 "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' 11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. When Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his right mind, this is what he confessed. ESV Daniel 4:34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" Well, as we look at the burial of Jesus, we see this very truth on display. At His burial our Savior was honored by His disciples. But we also see our Lord, unwittingly, honored by His enemies. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE JEWS, THOSE WHO HAD WORKED FOR THE MURDER OF JESUS, WOULD HAVE NEVER INTENTIONALLY PAID HIM HOMAGE. And yet, in a strange way, that is exactly what they did — by the way they responded to His burial. OUR LORD’S BURIAL EXPOSES HIS ENEMIES. HE EXPOSES THEIR SPIRITUAL CONDITION. HE EXPOSES THEIR FEARS. HE EXPOSES THE FUTILITY OF THEIR DESIRE TO STOP WHAT HE PROMISED HE WOULD DO. Tonight, we look again at the burial of Jesus, and as we do, we see the fear and the futility of His enemies. I. A FEARFUL REQUEST (vs.62-64) Jesus was crucified on a Friday. The day after the preparation for Sabbath — the next day, Saturday, the Sabbath day — the chief priests and Pharisees met with Pilate. ESV Mark 15:42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Pilate must have thought to himself, how many more meetings about this Jesus? But here they were, and they wanted something additional. What they wanted was very revealing. As we said, they were exposed by our Lord’s burial. A. THEY REVEAL THEIR GODLESS ALLEGIANCE They address Pilate as Lord. It is true that the word can simply be used as a term of respect, as it is rendered here — “sir.” But in the context of the gospel of Matthew it is certainly striking. John Nolland —"Except in a few parables, where the ‘Lord’ of the parable functions metaphorically as an image of Jesus and/or God, the address κύριε (‘Lord/master’) has been reserved exclusively for Jesus elsewhere in the Gospel. Against this background, the use of κύριε here on the lips of the chief priests and the Pharisees, and addressed to Pilate, has an impact not unlike that of Jn. 19:15, where the chief priests say, ‘We have no king but Caesar’.:#_ftn1 But even if you say, “I think that is reading too much into that term of respect” then simply look at how these men continue to make use of Pilate. They wanted Pilate to shield them from losing their place of influence to Jesus, by crucifying Jesus. Now they want Pilate to shield them from losing their place (in their own words, an even worse situation), by keeping Christ’s body in the tomb. These men are not aiming to please God, they are aiming to please themselves. B. THEY REVEAL THAT THEY HEARD CHRIST’S CLAIMS OF RESURRECTION (vs.63) Remember that one of the key arguments made against Jesus during the Jewish phase of His trials, was that He had claimed that He would destroy the temple, and then could raise it up. Jesus was never talking about the temple in Jerusalem. He was talking about the temple of His body. #_ftnref1 John Nolland, https://ref.ly/logosres/nigtcmt?ref=bible.mt27.63&off=6&ctx=he+situation.%0a27%3a63+~except+in+a+few+para, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005), 1236.