WEBVTT

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 It's an honor for me to be counted among you, saints of God.

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 And my great privilege and honor to preach God's word to you this morning.

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!

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 After taking a brief break from our series in Matthew, we are today coming back to our series.

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 We're in chapter 21, verses 18 to 32.

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 Let me pray before the reading and preaching of God's word.

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 Heavenly Father, it is a privilege beyond our deserts to be adopted as your sons and daughters.

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 To be able to call upon you, the almighty creator of the universe, as our Father.

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 And we do that boldly because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, this morning.

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 Won't you speak to us today in your word so that we live more in light of that wondrous reality?

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 Won't you, in the preaching, in the reading of your word, exalt your son, Jesus Christ?

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 And help us to submit to him, to his will, more and more in every aspect of our lives.

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 We pray this in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 If you are able to honor God, please stand with me as I read from Matthew, chapter 21, verses 18 to 32.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.

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 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves.

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 And he said to it, may no fruit ever come from you again.

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 and the fig tree withered at once.

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 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying,

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 How did the fig tree wither at once?

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 And Jesus answered them,

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 Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt,

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 you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree,

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 but even if you say to this mountain,

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 Be taken up and thrown into the sea, it will happen.

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 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.

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 And when he entered the temple,

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 the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him

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 as he was teaching and said,

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 By what authority are you doing these things?

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 And who gave you this authority?

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 Jesus answered them,

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 I also will ask you one question.

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 And if you tell me the answer,

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 then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.

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 The baptism of John, from where did it come?

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 From heaven or from man?

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 And they discussed it among themselves, saying,

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 If we say from heaven, he will say to us,

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 Why then did you not believe him?

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 But if we say from man, we are afraid of the crowd,

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 for they all hold that John was a prophet.

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 So they answered Jesus,

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 We do not know.

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 And he said to them,

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 Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

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 What do you think?

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 A man had two sons,

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 and he went to the first and said,

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 Son, go and work in the vineyard today.

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 And he answered, I will not.

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 But afterward he changed his mind and went.

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 And he went to the other son and said the same.

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 And he answered, I go, sir, but did not go.

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 Which of the two did the will of his father?

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 They said, The first.

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 Jesus said to them,

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 Truly I say to you,

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 The tax collectors and the prostitutes

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 go into the kingdom of God before you.

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 For John came to you in the way of righteousness,

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 and you did not believe him,

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 but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him.

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 And even when you saw it,

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 you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

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 This is God's holy and authoritative word.

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 You may be seated.

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 John Kenneth Galbraith,

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 an economist who taught at Harvard for half a century or so,

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 once observed that,

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 quote,

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 faced with the choice between changing one's mind

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 and proving that there is no need to do so,

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 almost everyone opts for the latter.

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 Leo Tolstoy,

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 the influential author of War and Peace fame,

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 concurred.

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 He said,

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 The most difficult subjects

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 can be explained to the most slow-witted man

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 if he has not formed any idea of them already.

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 But the simplest thing

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 cannot be made clear

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 to the most intelligent man

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 if he is firmly persuaded

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 that he knows already,

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 without a shadow of doubt,

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 what is laid before him.

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 Change is scary.

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 Especially when people's egos,

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 their identities,

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 are closely tied with their pre-existing beliefs,

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 it's very hard for them to change

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 those pre-existing beliefs.

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 But when we are confronted

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 with the reality of Jesus,

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 as we talked about last week,

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 with his death

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 and with his resurrection,

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 when we are confronted

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 by the unchanging,

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 infallible,

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 inerrant word of God,

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 going about life,

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 business as usual,

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 is not an option.

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 Change we must.

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 C.S. Lewis famously wrote

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 that when he converted to Christianity,

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 he was perhaps

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 the most dejected,

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 reluctant convert

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 in all of England.

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 But convert he did

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 and became one of the most able

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 and ardent defenders

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 of Christianity

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 that history has seen.

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 Some of you here

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 are not yet Christians

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 and you face that same decision.

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 The rest of us

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 are already Christians,

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 but we also face

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 various choices

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 every single day

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 and every single week

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 when the word of God

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 and the spirit of God

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 challenge the way we think

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 and the way we act.

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 And then we have to decide,

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 will we change

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 and will we conform our ways

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 to fit,

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 to be aligned with

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 the ways of God

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 or will we insist

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 on our own way?

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 And our passage this morning

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 teaches us

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 that we must change.

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 And the main point of the passage

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 can be summarized this way,

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 change your mind

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 and believe in the Son of Heaven.

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 And first,

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 we're going to see

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 the fruitless fig tree

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 and then secondly,

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 we're going to see

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 the faithless Israel

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 which parallel each other

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 and they explain each other.

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 It says in verse 18,

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 in the morning,

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 as Jesus was returning

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 to the city,

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 he became hungry.

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 Having spent the night

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 in Bethany,

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 as we were told in verse 17,

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 Jesus now returns

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 in the morning

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 to the city of Jerusalem

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 and he says

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 that he became hungry.

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 This is the same word

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 that was used to describe

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 how Jesus felt

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 after a 40-day fast

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 in Matthew chapter 4.

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 It's the same word

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 that was used to describe

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 the disciples of Jesus

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 in Matthew 12

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 when they were so hungry

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 that they couldn't wait

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 that they start plucking

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 heads of grain

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 and then eating them

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 on the Sabbath,

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 getting themselves

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 into trouble

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 with the Pharisees

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 who thought that

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 that was an illegal act

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 because it constituted

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 work in their mind

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 on the Sabbath day of rest.

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 And so,

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 this means he was

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 really hungry.

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 It's not a,

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 it's kind of a hankering

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 for dessert or ice cream.

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 I just had a full meal

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 but man,

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 I could really use

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 some ice cream.

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 No, he's hungry

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 because that's his lifestyle.

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 He's living with his disciples

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 hand to mouth

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 as an itinerant preacher.

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 But,

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 that reality does highlight

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 the humiliation

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 of the Son of God

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 in his incarnation.

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 I'm sorry,

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 I think it might be

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 a motion detector thing

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 sometimes.

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 You guys are

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 too attentive

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 and calm

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 and listening to me.

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 It's a,

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 it,

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 Jesus is the Son of God

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 who has taken on

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 human flesh.

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 how can the Lord

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 of creation,

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 the word of God

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 by whom the entire

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 cosmos came to exist,

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 how can

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 he go hungry?

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 So,

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 in verse 19,

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 it says,

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 seeing a fig tree

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 by the wayside,

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 he went to it

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 and found nothing on it

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 but only leaves.

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 And he said to it,

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 may no fruit

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 ever come from you

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 again.

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 And the fig tree

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 withered at once.

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 Fig trees

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 usually put out

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 their full leaves

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 first

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 and then they start

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 to produce fruit.

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 But this one

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 has only leaves

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 and no fruit

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 yet.

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 And we know

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 that this is during

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 the week of Passover

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 which falls between

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 March and April

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 and we know

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 that in this region

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 historically

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 as the fig trees

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 would only bear fruit

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 mid-May

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 or later on.

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 So,

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 it's not quite

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 fruit-bearing season.

00:10:39.719 --> 00:10:40.379
 In fact,

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 in the parallel account

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 of this exact

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 incident

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 in Mark 11,

00:10:44.820 --> 00:10:45.240
 13,

00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:47.299
 Mark explicitly notes

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 that Jesus found

00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:49.279
 nothing but leaves

00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.019
 for it was not

00:10:51.019 --> 00:10:52.299
 the season for figs.

00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:55.940
 Well,

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 then isn't it

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 quite unreasonable

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 for Jesus

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 to expect

00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:00.779
 to find figs

00:11:00.779 --> 00:11:01.580
 when it's not

00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:02.600
 the season for figs?

00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:04.460
 What did the fig tree

00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:05.080
 do wrong?

00:11:08.019 --> 00:11:08.960
 This might seem

00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:09.460
 to you like

00:11:09.460 --> 00:11:10.360
 an unwarranted

00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:11.680
 drastic reaction.

00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:14.060
 for something

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 so small

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 but I think

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 not for two

00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:16.500
 reasons.

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 One

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 is because

00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:20.220
 of who Jesus

00:11:20.220 --> 00:11:20.620
 is.

00:11:22.220 --> 00:11:23.220
 Jesus is the

00:11:23.220 --> 00:11:23.860
 Son of God.

00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:24.539
 As I said,

00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:25.200
 He is the Lord

00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:26.240
 of all creation.

00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.240
 He is the Word

00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:28.100
 by whom all

00:11:28.100 --> 00:11:29.379
 creation came to be.

00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:30.740
 He silences

00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:31.560
 tempests

00:11:31.560 --> 00:11:32.460
 and calms

00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:33.560
 the raging sea

00:11:33.560 --> 00:11:34.419
 by the Word

00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:35.139
 of His mouth.

00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:37.379
 When the owner

00:11:37.379 --> 00:11:38.159
 of all creation

00:11:38.159 --> 00:11:38.700
 is visiting,

00:11:38.899 --> 00:11:39.860
 creation should

00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:41.379
 bend and bow

00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:41.799
 its knee

00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:42.500
 before Him.

00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:45.519
 Every valley

00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:46.539
 shall be lifted up,

00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:47.500
 it said in Isaiah

00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:48.379
 40 verse 4.

00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:49.639
 Every mountain

00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:50.740
 hill be made low.

00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:51.779
 The uneven ground

00:11:51.779 --> 00:11:52.679
 shall become level

00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:53.179
 and the rough

00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:54.259
 places a plain.

00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:55.740
 The very stones

00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:56.980
 underneath Jesus'

00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.039
 feet should sing

00:11:58.039 --> 00:11:58.840
 His praise.

00:11:59.220 --> 00:12:00.299
 As He walks by,

00:12:00.439 --> 00:12:01.600
 flowers should bloom

00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:02.220
 for Him.

00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:03.980
 And when He is hungry

00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:04.559
 and He reaches

00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:05.320
 for a fig tree,

00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:06.019
 a fig tree

00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:07.200
 should bear fruit

00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:07.659
 for Him.

00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:09.879
 that's what

00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:11.740
 the King deserves.

00:12:13.959 --> 00:12:14.799
 But He doesn't

00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:15.279
 get it

00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:16.620
 because He comes

00:12:16.620 --> 00:12:17.500
 in His humiliation

00:12:17.500 --> 00:12:20.059
 of the incarnation

00:12:20.059 --> 00:12:21.819
 to save sinners

00:12:21.819 --> 00:12:22.519
 like you and me.

00:12:23.659 --> 00:12:24.459
 He experiences

00:12:24.459 --> 00:12:25.339
 the same earth

00:12:25.339 --> 00:12:26.659
 that we experience,

00:12:26.779 --> 00:12:27.299
 the same

00:12:27.299 --> 00:12:29.259
 ups and downs

00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:29.719
 of life

00:12:29.719 --> 00:12:31.240
 because,

00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:32.059
 and He couldn't

00:12:32.059 --> 00:12:32.699
 get a fig

00:12:32.699 --> 00:12:33.459
 because it wasn't

00:12:33.459 --> 00:12:34.019
 in season.

00:12:34.019 --> 00:12:37.019
 That's one reason.

00:12:37.439 --> 00:12:37.779
 Two,

00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:40.340
 Jesus cursing

00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:40.899
 the fig tree

00:12:40.899 --> 00:12:41.519
 and making it

00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:41.779
 wither

00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:42.639
 is an active

00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:43.159
 parable.

00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:45.460
 It's a symbol.

00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:47.519
 People conversing

00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:48.340
 with the Old Testament

00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:49.639
 would have recognized

00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:50.419
 that a fig tree

00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:51.259
 is a familiar

00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:51.740
 metaphor

00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:52.720
 for the people

00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:53.199
 of God.

00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:55.179
 In Jeremiah 24,

00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:56.079
 God describes

00:12:56.079 --> 00:12:56.460
 the people

00:12:56.460 --> 00:12:57.399
 as figs.

00:12:57.480 --> 00:12:57.960
 He says there are

00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:58.579
 good figs

00:12:58.579 --> 00:12:58.899
 and there are

00:12:58.899 --> 00:12:59.659
 bad figs.

00:13:00.419 --> 00:13:01.319
 In Hosea 9,

00:13:01.439 --> 00:13:02.079
 in its first,

00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:03.399
 in Hosea 9,

00:13:03.399 --> 00:13:04.059
 God says,

00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:05.199
 like grapes

00:13:05.199 --> 00:13:05.959
 in the wilderness

00:13:05.959 --> 00:13:07.419
 I found Israel.

00:13:08.019 --> 00:13:09.279
 Like the first fruit

00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:09.980
 on the fig tree

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:10.980
 in its first season

00:13:10.980 --> 00:13:12.220
 I saw your fathers.

00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:13.519
 But,

00:13:14.299 --> 00:13:14.899
 they came

00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:15.939
 to Baal Peor

00:13:15.939 --> 00:13:16.879
 and consecrated

00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:17.279
 themselves

00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:17.840
 to the thing

00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:18.399
 of shame

00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:19.539
 and became

00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:20.259
 detestable

00:13:20.259 --> 00:13:21.000
 like the thing

00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:21.600
 they loved.

00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:23.159
 Ephraim

00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:24.000
 is stricken.

00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:24.919
 Their root

00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:25.939
 is dried up.

00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:26.959
 They shall bear

00:13:26.959 --> 00:13:27.840
 no fruit.

00:13:29.019 --> 00:13:30.279
 God delighted

00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:31.319
 in His people

00:13:31.319 --> 00:13:32.659
 like the first fruit

00:13:32.659 --> 00:13:33.340
 on the fig tree

00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:34.280
 in its first season.

00:13:34.899 --> 00:13:35.360
 And yet,

00:13:35.560 --> 00:13:36.280
 His people

00:13:36.280 --> 00:13:37.960
 forsook God

00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:38.879
 and went

00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:39.660
 after idols

00:13:39.660 --> 00:13:41.580
 and because of this,

00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:42.420
 God pronounces

00:13:42.420 --> 00:13:43.100
 that they shall

00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:44.040
 bear no fruit.

00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:46.540
 God similarly

00:13:46.540 --> 00:13:46.960
 laments

00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:47.680
 in Jeremiah 8,

00:13:47.700 --> 00:13:48.100
 13,

00:13:48.180 --> 00:13:48.620
 when I would

00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:49.480
 gather them,

00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:51.019
 there are no

00:13:51.019 --> 00:13:52.200
 grapes on the vine

00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:53.580
 nor figs

00:13:53.580 --> 00:13:54.780
 on the fig tree.

00:13:56.540 --> 00:13:57.580
 The nation

00:13:57.580 --> 00:13:58.000
 of Israel

00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:58.720
 was not

00:13:58.720 --> 00:13:59.639
 bearing fruit

00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:00.580
 like they should

00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:01.000
 have been.

00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:01.340
 So,

00:14:01.659 --> 00:14:02.720
 prophet Micah

00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:03.419
 says in Micah

00:14:03.419 --> 00:14:03.679
 7,

00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:04.320
 1-2,

00:14:04.779 --> 00:14:05.700
 Woe is me

00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:06.620
 for I become

00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:07.220
 as when the

00:14:07.220 --> 00:14:07.820
 summer fruit

00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:08.580
 has been gathered,

00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:09.440
 as when the

00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:10.259
 grapes have been

00:14:10.259 --> 00:14:10.820
 gleaned,

00:14:11.059 --> 00:14:12.000
 there is no

00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.019
 cluster to eat,

00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:15.580
 no first ripe fig

00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:16.460
 that my soul

00:14:16.460 --> 00:14:17.120
 desires.

00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:18.399
 The godly

00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:19.159
 has perished

00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:19.860
 from the earth

00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:20.500
 and there is

00:14:20.500 --> 00:14:21.460
 no one upright

00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:22.679
 among mankind.

00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:24.960
 The phrase

00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:27.059
 no first ripe fig

00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:27.620
 parallels

00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:28.940
 no one

00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:29.639
 upright.

00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:31.279
 No upright

00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:31.600
 man.

00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:33.120
 God's people

00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:33.539
 should have been

00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:34.480
 holy and set

00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:35.340
 apart and living

00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:35.980
 upright and

00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:36.700
 righteous lives

00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:37.060
 for him,

00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:37.519
 but instead

00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:38.179
 they rebelled

00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:38.740
 against him

00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:39.279
 and sinned

00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:39.759
 against him

00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:40.519
 and worshipped

00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:41.080
 these idols.

00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:42.120
 They were like

00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:42.820
 a fig tree

00:14:42.820 --> 00:14:43.340
 that had

00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:44.179
 no figs.

00:14:46.259 --> 00:14:46.779
 So,

00:14:46.899 --> 00:14:47.539
 this symbolic

00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:49.000
 action of Jesus,

00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:49.919
 this connection

00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:51.159
 is connected

00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:52.960
 by the geographic

00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:53.620
 note that Matthew

00:14:53.620 --> 00:14:54.320
 provided for us

00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:55.299
 earlier in chapter 21

00:14:55.299 --> 00:14:56.000
 in verse 1

00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:56.919
 when it says

00:14:56.919 --> 00:14:57.399
 that Jesus

00:14:57.399 --> 00:14:58.259
 came to

00:14:58.259 --> 00:14:59.039
 Bethphage

00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:00.500
 to the

00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:01.299
 Mount of Olives.

00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:02.960
 The town

00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:03.759
 named Bethphage

00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:04.620
 in Aramaic

00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:05.940
 means the town,

00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:06.519
 the house

00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:07.740
 of early figs.

00:15:08.820 --> 00:15:09.899
 It's the house

00:15:09.899 --> 00:15:11.299
 of first ripe figs

00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:12.679
 which highlights

00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:13.159
 the irony

00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:13.700
 of the scene.

00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:15.539
 Jesus has come

00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:16.539
 to God's people

00:15:16.539 --> 00:15:17.679
 and to the city

00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:18.159
 of God

00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:19.259
 that should have

00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:20.139
 been the house

00:15:20.139 --> 00:15:21.559
 of early figs,

00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:22.379
 the house

00:15:22.379 --> 00:15:23.759
 of first ripe figs,

00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:24.460
 but instead

00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:25.559
 he has only found

00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:26.199
 the fig tree

00:15:26.199 --> 00:15:26.839
 with nothing

00:15:26.839 --> 00:15:27.239
 on it

00:15:27.239 --> 00:15:28.619
 but only leaves.

00:15:31.119 --> 00:15:32.000
 The idea

00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:33.000
 of bearing fruit

00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:34.059
 has been a constant

00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:34.579
 theme throughout

00:15:34.579 --> 00:15:35.599
 the Gospel of Matthew.

00:15:36.479 --> 00:15:37.199
 John the Baptist

00:15:37.199 --> 00:15:37.959
 preached this

00:15:37.959 --> 00:15:38.899
 in Matthew 3.8,

00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:39.979
 bear fruit

00:15:39.979 --> 00:15:40.559
 in keeping

00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:41.279
 with repentance.

00:15:42.239 --> 00:15:42.719
 Jesus said

00:15:42.719 --> 00:15:44.179
 in Matthew 7.16-20,

00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:45.039
 you will recognize

00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:46.199
 them by their fruits.

00:15:46.839 --> 00:15:47.479
 Are grapes

00:15:47.479 --> 00:15:48.139
 gathered from

00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:48.679
 thorn bushes

00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:49.799
 or figs

00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:50.459
 from thistles?

00:15:50.979 --> 00:15:51.239
 So,

00:15:51.339 --> 00:15:52.219
 every healthy tree

00:15:52.219 --> 00:15:53.019
 bears good fruit

00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:53.819
 but the diseased

00:15:53.819 --> 00:15:54.719
 tree bears

00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:55.540
 bad fruit.

00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:57.180
 A healthy tree

00:15:57.180 --> 00:15:57.980
 cannot bear

00:15:57.980 --> 00:15:58.600
 bad fruit

00:15:58.600 --> 00:15:59.500
 nor can a diseased

00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:00.000
 tree bear

00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:00.620
 good fruit.

00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:02.200
 Every tree

00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:03.000
 that does not

00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:03.700
 bear good fruit

00:16:03.700 --> 00:16:04.379
 is cut down

00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:04.700
 and thrown

00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:05.340
 into the fire.

00:16:05.820 --> 00:16:06.040
 Thus,

00:16:06.180 --> 00:16:06.940
 you will recognize

00:16:06.940 --> 00:16:07.800
 them by their

00:16:07.800 --> 00:16:08.300
 fruits.

00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:09.879
 And then,

00:16:10.040 --> 00:16:10.940
 in the following

00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:11.580
 parable,

00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:13.200
 in verses 33-46,

00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:14.040
 the parable of tenants

00:16:14.040 --> 00:16:14.779
 that Ed will preach

00:16:14.779 --> 00:16:15.820
 on next week,

00:16:16.300 --> 00:16:17.279
 Jesus will compare

00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.860
 God to a master

00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:20.220
 who hires servants

00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:21.399
 to work in his

00:16:21.399 --> 00:16:22.279
 vineyard,

00:16:22.800 --> 00:16:23.320
 and yet,

00:16:23.420 --> 00:16:24.460
 they refuse

00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:25.639
 to give the master

00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:26.420
 the fruit,

00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:27.620
 the produce

00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:28.420
 of the vineyard.

00:16:31.560 --> 00:16:32.180
 And then,

00:16:32.220 --> 00:16:32.860
 Jesus concludes

00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:33.220
 at the end

00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:33.720
 of that parable,

00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:34.080
 therefore,

00:16:34.180 --> 00:16:34.580
 I tell you,

00:16:34.580 --> 00:16:35.379
 the kingdom of God

00:16:35.379 --> 00:16:35.879
 will be taken

00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:36.720
 away from you

00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:37.860
 and given to a

00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:38.680
 people producing

00:16:38.680 --> 00:16:39.779
 its fruits.

00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:41.800
 So,

00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:43.480
 the withered fig tree

00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.200
 is an acted

00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:45.800
 parable.

00:16:46.459 --> 00:16:47.859
 Jesus is pronouncing

00:16:47.859 --> 00:16:49.159
 divine judgment

00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:50.539
 over a fruitless

00:16:50.539 --> 00:16:50.919
 people

00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:52.240
 in the symbolic

00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:52.639
 act.

00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:55.699
 When the disciples

00:16:55.699 --> 00:16:56.240
 marvel,

00:16:56.939 --> 00:16:57.839
 it is pretty amazing,

00:16:57.939 --> 00:16:58.079
 right?

00:16:58.159 --> 00:16:58.359
 I mean,

00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:00.240
 imagine a fig tree

00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.019
 that just was full

00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:01.439
 of leaves

00:17:01.439 --> 00:17:02.000
 withering

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:03.379
 in a moment

00:17:03.379 --> 00:17:04.139
 after Jesus

00:17:04.139 --> 00:17:04.960
 pronounces that.

00:17:05.619 --> 00:17:06.919
 How did the fig tree

00:17:06.919 --> 00:17:07.859
 wither at once?

00:17:09.319 --> 00:17:10.139
 And Jesus uses

00:17:10.139 --> 00:17:10.680
 this opportunity

00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:11.299
 to teach them

00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:12.200
 a lesson on faith

00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:13.519
 in verses 21-22,

00:17:13.700 --> 00:17:14.720
 truly I say to you,

00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:15.700
 if you have

00:17:15.700 --> 00:17:16.740
 faith and do not

00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:17.140
 doubt,

00:17:17.620 --> 00:17:18.460
 you will not only

00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:19.380
 do what has been

00:17:19.380 --> 00:17:20.440
 done to the fig tree,

00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:21.779
 but even if you

00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:22.980
 say to this mountain,

00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:24.140
 be taken up

00:17:24.140 --> 00:17:24.680
 and thrown into

00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:25.120
 the sea,

00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:26.120
 it will happen.

00:17:26.840 --> 00:17:27.720
 And whatever you

00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:28.920
 ask in prayer,

00:17:29.019 --> 00:17:29.740
 you will receive

00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:31.460
 if you have faith.

00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:33.740
 These verses

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:34.600
 closely parallel

00:17:34.600 --> 00:17:35.860
 Matthew 17-20

00:17:35.860 --> 00:17:36.600
 where Jesus says,

00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:37.740
 truly I say to you,

00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:39.200
 if you have faith

00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:40.059
 like a grain

00:17:40.059 --> 00:17:41.140
 of mustard seed,

00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:42.000
 you will say

00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:42.700
 to this mountain,

00:17:42.860 --> 00:17:43.620
 move from here

00:17:43.620 --> 00:17:44.039
 to there

00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:44.740
 and it will move

00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:45.240
 and nothing

00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:46.079
 will be impossible

00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:46.779
 for you.

00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:49.759
 When I preached

00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:50.980
 on that passage

00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:51.620
 in Matthew

00:17:51.620 --> 00:17:52.180
 in February,

00:17:52.180 --> 00:17:52.960
 I mentioned to you

00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:53.480
 that faith

00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:54.019
 like a grain

00:17:54.019 --> 00:17:54.740
 of mustard seed

00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:57.420
 does not refer

00:17:57.420 --> 00:17:59.140
 to a weak faith

00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:01.620
 or to a small faith

00:18:01.620 --> 00:18:02.299
 or a faith

00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:03.440
 riddled with doubt.

00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:04.640
 Rather,

00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:05.740
 it's a strong

00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:07.440
 childlike faith

00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:08.720
 of the little ones

00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:09.200
 of God

00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:09.759
 that Matthew

00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:10.880
 repeatedly speaks of.

00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:12.780
 A mustard seed

00:18:12.780 --> 00:18:13.780
 is the proverbially

00:18:13.780 --> 00:18:15.000
 smallest seed,

00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:16.400
 but a faith

00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:17.060
 like a grain

00:18:17.060 --> 00:18:17.840
 of mustard seed

00:18:17.840 --> 00:18:19.220
 is not a small seed,

00:18:19.320 --> 00:18:20.060
 but it's the faith

00:18:20.060 --> 00:18:21.440
 of small ones.

00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:23.840
 It's a childlike faith.

00:18:25.040 --> 00:18:25.480
 And I think

00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:26.060
 this passage

00:18:26.060 --> 00:18:27.260
 confirms that interpretation

00:18:27.260 --> 00:18:28.080
 because there,

00:18:28.560 --> 00:18:29.580
 the faith that moves

00:18:29.580 --> 00:18:30.080
 mountains

00:18:30.080 --> 00:18:31.580
 was a mustard seed.

00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:33.800
 Mustard seed faith.

00:18:34.220 --> 00:18:34.720
 But here,

00:18:34.820 --> 00:18:35.620
 the faith that moves

00:18:35.620 --> 00:18:36.020
 mountains

00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:36.819
 is a faith

00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:38.440
 that does not doubt.

00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:42.379
 Moving mountains

00:18:42.379 --> 00:18:43.240
 is not literal,

00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:45.259
 but a figurative speech

00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:46.579
 for doing the impossible.

00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:49.000
 And a childlike faith

00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:50.000
 that depends on God

00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.480
 can do the impossible

00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:52.720
 with the power of God.

00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:54.900
 The best way

00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:55.480
 to illustrate

00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:56.440
 childlike faith

00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:57.460
 is by using

00:18:57.460 --> 00:18:58.299
 the example of

00:18:58.299 --> 00:18:59.460
 children.

00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:03.059
 Let me give you

00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:04.000
 just a couple examples.

00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:05.379
 One time,

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:06.780
 I showed my girls,

00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:07.480
 I'm sorry,

00:19:07.540 --> 00:19:08.180
 this is kind of embarrassing,

00:19:10.780 --> 00:19:12.380
 showed my girls

00:19:12.380 --> 00:19:13.040
 a video of the

00:19:13.040 --> 00:19:14.540
 English Greyhound Derby.

00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:15.860
 Anybody seen that?

00:19:17.800 --> 00:19:18.460
 Nobody's seen that?

00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:20.080
 Not even the Brits

00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:20.840
 in our church?

00:19:21.320 --> 00:19:21.460
 Yeah.

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:22.900
 It's like the

00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:23.700
 Kentucky Derby,

00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:25.180
 except it's not with horses,

00:19:25.300 --> 00:19:26.000
 it's with dogs.

00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:27.480
 Yeah, more specifically,

00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:28.500
 it's with the greyhounds.

00:19:29.620 --> 00:19:30.740
 And the greyhound,

00:19:30.820 --> 00:19:31.580
 if you didn't know already,

00:19:31.620 --> 00:19:32.280
 is the fastest

00:19:32.280 --> 00:19:33.500
 dog breed in the world,

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.120
 and their top speed

00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:35.699
 reaches up to

00:19:35.699 --> 00:19:37.259
 45 miles per hour,

00:19:37.719 --> 00:19:39.359
 73 kilometers per hour,

00:19:39.659 --> 00:19:42.639
 which is about the same

00:19:42.639 --> 00:19:43.519
 as the top speed

00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:44.179
 of a horse.

00:19:45.259 --> 00:19:46.039
 It's crazy.

00:19:46.939 --> 00:19:47.899
 And they actually

00:19:47.899 --> 00:19:49.139
 accelerate faster

00:19:49.139 --> 00:19:49.979
 than the horse does,

00:19:50.039 --> 00:19:50.639
 so if you do

00:19:50.639 --> 00:19:52.139
 pit them against each other

00:19:52.139 --> 00:19:53.659
 in a short distance race,

00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:54.899
 the greyhounds

00:19:54.899 --> 00:19:55.839
 dominate the horses.

00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:58.379
 All that to say,

00:19:58.439 --> 00:19:59.359
 they're extremely fast.

00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:01.019
 And my girls

00:20:01.019 --> 00:20:02.779
 watched this amazing clip

00:20:02.779 --> 00:20:05.240
 in Wide-Eyed Wonder,

00:20:05.659 --> 00:20:06.599
 and then afterward,

00:20:06.719 --> 00:20:07.599
 they turned to me,

00:20:07.919 --> 00:20:09.419
 and with earnest curiosity,

00:20:09.419 --> 00:20:11.339
 asked me a very important question.

00:20:12.899 --> 00:20:13.359
 Dad,

00:20:13.899 --> 00:20:15.599
 do you think

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.799
 a greyhound

00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:19.240
 is even faster than you?

00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:26.680
 It's a very cute question.

00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:28.460
 Of course,

00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:29.359
 I told them the truth.

00:20:31.140 --> 00:20:32.000
 It's hard to say,

00:20:32.059 --> 00:20:32.259
 girls.

00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:36.660
 I think it would be

00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:37.240
 pretty competitive.

00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:39.980
 I'm just kidding.

00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:40.539
 That's not what I did.

00:20:40.620 --> 00:20:41.160
 I didn't tell them.

00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:41.339
 Yeah.

00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:44.799
 Of course,

00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:45.759
 I wouldn't stand a chance.

00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:49.299
 I remember

00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:51.500
 when a $100 bill

00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:52.359
 was like the largest

00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:53.180
 denomination of money

00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:53.879
 that my girls

00:20:53.879 --> 00:20:54.900
 were aware of,

00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:55.980
 and Hannah and I

00:20:55.980 --> 00:20:56.980
 somehow had lost

00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:58.379
 $30 or something,

00:20:58.480 --> 00:20:58.980
 and we were talking

00:20:58.980 --> 00:20:59.579
 about it in the car

00:20:59.579 --> 00:21:00.099
 and lamenting

00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:01.019
 that we lost these $30,

00:21:01.420 --> 00:21:03.019
 and I forget exactly

00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:03.779
 how we lost this

00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:04.259
 and what happened.

00:21:04.259 --> 00:21:04.819
 Something happened,

00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:05.619
 and then one of the girls

00:21:05.619 --> 00:21:06.759
 overheard the conversation

00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:07.539
 in the back of the car

00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:08.079
 and then asked

00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:09.220
 a very concerned question.

00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:10.720
 Mommy, Daddy,

00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:11.920
 are we going to have

00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:12.480
 enough money?

00:21:14.379 --> 00:21:14.740
 Thankfully,

00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:15.379
 we're not in that

00:21:15.380 --> 00:21:15.960
 kind of poverty.

00:21:17.600 --> 00:21:18.440
 I chuckled

00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:19.440
 and explained to them,

00:21:19.820 --> 00:21:21.120
 you don't have

00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:21.840
 to worry about money.

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:24.560
 That's Mommy and Daddy's

00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:25.460
 job to worry about money,

00:21:25.520 --> 00:21:25.980
 so you don't have

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:26.680
 to worry about money.

00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:30.980
 Just to dispel

00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:31.760
 their lingering doubts,

00:21:31.840 --> 00:21:32.400
 I told them

00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.400
 how much our house costs

00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:35.580
 in Cambridge,

00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:38.060
 and that seemed

00:21:38.060 --> 00:21:39.120
 to put them at ease

00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:40.840
 because that's

00:21:40.840 --> 00:21:42.280
 an unimaginable

00:21:42.280 --> 00:21:42.940
 amount of money

00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:43.600
 for a child

00:21:43.600 --> 00:21:44.200
 who only knows

00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:44.980
 a $100 bill.

00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:49.640
 In the world

00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:50.560
 of small children,

00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:52.820
 parents are like

00:21:52.820 --> 00:21:53.440
 giants

00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:54.820
 and superheroes.

00:21:57.040 --> 00:21:58.140
 I had this line

00:21:58.140 --> 00:21:58.560
 in the sermon

00:21:58.560 --> 00:21:59.640
 before Lauren

00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:00.800
 shared that prophecy

00:22:00.800 --> 00:22:01.500
 about superheroes.

00:22:04.540 --> 00:22:06.040
 They can lift things

00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:06.920
 that children

00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:07.620
 can't lift.

00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:08.740
 They can reach things

00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:09.240
 that children

00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:09.940
 can't reach.

00:22:10.120 --> 00:22:11.120
 They can solve things

00:22:11.120 --> 00:22:11.580
 that children

00:22:11.580 --> 00:22:12.340
 can't solve.

00:22:12.339 --> 00:22:13.659
 They can buy things

00:22:13.659 --> 00:22:14.159
 that children

00:22:14.159 --> 00:22:15.119
 cannot buy.

00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:16.419
 And isn't it

00:22:16.419 --> 00:22:18.039
 infinitely more so

00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:18.519
 the case

00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:19.339
 in our relationship

00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:19.819
 with God,

00:22:19.879 --> 00:22:20.559
 our Heavenly Father?

00:22:24.439 --> 00:22:25.480
 Do you believe

00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:26.099
 that nothing

00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:27.399
 will be impossible

00:22:27.399 --> 00:22:28.099
 with God?

00:22:28.099 --> 00:22:28.139
 God,

00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:31.539
 what are the mountains

00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:32.719
 in your life

00:22:32.719 --> 00:22:33.839
 that you feel

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:34.799
 that can never

00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:35.559
 be moved?

00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:37.819
 Do you believe

00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:38.779
 that God really

00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:40.579
 can deliver you

00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:41.500
 from that besetting

00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:42.419
 sin that has been

00:22:42.419 --> 00:22:43.139
 plaguing you

00:22:43.139 --> 00:22:43.740
 for a decade?

00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:46.319
 Do you believe

00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:47.199
 that God really

00:22:47.199 --> 00:22:48.299
 can bring that

00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:49.539
 stubborn family member

00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:50.619
 to repentance

00:22:50.619 --> 00:22:51.279
 and faith

00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:52.240
 in Jesus Christ?

00:22:53.139 --> 00:22:54.099
 Do you really

00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:55.119
 believe that God

00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:56.839
 can bring peace

00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:57.619
 and contentment

00:22:57.619 --> 00:22:58.259
 in your life

00:22:58.259 --> 00:22:58.899
 even as you

00:22:58.899 --> 00:22:59.819
 wrestle with loneliness

00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:00.599
 in your singleness?

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:02.559
 Do you believe

00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:03.299
 that God really

00:23:03.299 --> 00:23:04.259
 can change

00:23:04.259 --> 00:23:04.959
 your tumultuous

00:23:04.959 --> 00:23:05.379
 marriage?

00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:06.759
 Do you believe

00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:07.299
 that God really

00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:08.319
 can forgive you

00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.319
 of all of your

00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:10.679
 heinous and hidden sins?

00:23:11.419 --> 00:23:12.039
 Do you believe

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:12.699
 that God really

00:23:12.699 --> 00:23:14.559
 can take your

00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.399
 disorder and

00:23:15.399 --> 00:23:16.579
 messed up life

00:23:16.579 --> 00:23:17.220
 and put it

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:17.659
 right back

00:23:17.659 --> 00:23:18.199
 into order?

00:23:22.399 --> 00:23:23.259
 Believe him

00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:24.159
 as a child

00:23:24.159 --> 00:23:25.139
 does to his father.

00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:27.779
 You are weak

00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:28.740
 so ask your

00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:29.740
 heavenly father

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.679
 who is mighty

00:23:30.679 --> 00:23:31.639
 to intervene

00:23:31.639 --> 00:23:32.379
 on your behalf.

00:23:35.159 --> 00:23:35.939
 And as you do

00:23:35.939 --> 00:23:36.299
 that be

00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:37.259
 importunate

00:23:37.259 --> 00:23:38.279
 be impudent

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:38.799
 and to be

00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.359
 persistent

00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:40.079
 in your prayers

00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:41.419
 because I can

00:23:41.419 --> 00:23:41.779
 assure you

00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:42.139
 that's what

00:23:42.139 --> 00:23:42.919
 children are like.

00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:44.959
 It's really

00:23:44.959 --> 00:23:45.659
 hard to turn

00:23:45.659 --> 00:23:46.119
 them down

00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:46.559
 or to turn

00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:46.939
 them away.

00:23:47.459 --> 00:23:47.819
 They just

00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:48.220
 keep coming

00:23:48.220 --> 00:23:48.679
 right back.

00:23:51.059 --> 00:23:51.759
 I was trying

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.159
 to talk to

00:23:52.159 --> 00:23:52.839
 somebody yesterday

00:23:52.839 --> 00:23:54.399
 and my youngest

00:23:54.399 --> 00:23:54.799
 was like

00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:55.439
 daddy can I

00:23:55.439 --> 00:23:55.939
 have a snack?

00:23:55.940 --> 00:23:58.340
 Daddy can I

00:23:58.340 --> 00:23:58.820
 have a snack?

00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:00.980
 Daddy can I

00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:01.259
 have a snack?

00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:01.660
 Yeah yeah you

00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:02.059
 could have a

00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:02.279
 snack.

00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:10.660
 It's our

00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:11.320
 heavenly father's

00:24:11.320 --> 00:24:11.900
 prerogative to

00:24:11.900 --> 00:24:12.539
 say no of

00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:13.220
 course if we're

00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:13.840
 asking for

00:24:13.840 --> 00:24:14.860
 things that are

00:24:14.860 --> 00:24:15.500
 not to his

00:24:15.500 --> 00:24:16.360
 glory and which

00:24:16.360 --> 00:24:17.059
 is not to our

00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:17.900
 good he can

00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:18.580
 say no of

00:24:18.580 --> 00:24:18.960
 course.

00:24:21.100 --> 00:24:21.820
 But unless

00:24:21.820 --> 00:24:23.480
 you've heard a

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.160
 firm no from

00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:25.660
 him persist in

00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:26.060
 your prayers

00:24:26.060 --> 00:24:26.460
 to God

00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:27.240
 cling to him

00:24:27.240 --> 00:24:27.740
 as a child

00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:28.759
 does to his

00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:29.000
 or her

00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:29.300
 father.

00:24:31.300 --> 00:24:32.120
 This concept

00:24:32.120 --> 00:24:32.880
 of faith is a

00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:33.580
 central one in

00:24:33.580 --> 00:24:34.279
 this passage and

00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:34.920
 the same Greek

00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:35.560
 words repeated

00:24:35.560 --> 00:24:36.519
 twice more in

00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:37.400
 verse 25 and

00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:38.019
 verse 32.

00:24:38.580 --> 00:24:39.400
 Why then did

00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:40.440
 you not believe

00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:40.720
 him?

00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:41.200
 That's just a

00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:41.880
 verbal form of

00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:42.180
 the word

00:24:42.180 --> 00:24:42.540
 faith.

00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:44.500
 The tax

00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:45.240
 collectors and

00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:45.680
 the processors

00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:46.840
 believed him

00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:47.960
 and even when

00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:48.560
 you saw it you

00:24:48.560 --> 00:24:49.259
 did not afterward

00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:49.800
 change your

00:24:49.800 --> 00:24:50.300
 minds and

00:24:50.300 --> 00:24:51.380
 believe him.

00:24:52.600 --> 00:24:53.200
 It's the main

00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:53.660
 point of this

00:24:53.660 --> 00:24:54.000
 passage.

00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:55.800
 Whatever it is

00:24:55.800 --> 00:24:56.100
 that we are

00:24:56.100 --> 00:24:56.980
 not currently

00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.160
 believing God

00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.420
 in, trusting our

00:24:59.420 --> 00:25:00.000
 heavenly father

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:00.900
 in, we must

00:25:00.900 --> 00:25:01.740
 change our

00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:02.200
 minds and

00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:02.920
 believe in

00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:03.160
 him.

00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:06.940
 After the

00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:07.660
 active parable

00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:08.560
 of the fig

00:25:08.560 --> 00:25:09.140
 tree, Jesus

00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:10.660
 encounters the

00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:11.580
 fig tree in

00:25:11.580 --> 00:25:12.500
 the flesh, the

00:25:12.500 --> 00:25:12.940
 fig tree in

00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:13.580
 real life which

00:25:13.580 --> 00:25:14.880
 is faithless

00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:15.279
 Israel.

00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:15.840
 In verse

00:25:15.840 --> 00:25:17.519
 23 he says,

00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:18.840
 when he

00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:19.380
 entered the

00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:19.900
 temple the

00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:20.519
 chief priests

00:25:20.519 --> 00:25:20.800
 and the

00:25:20.800 --> 00:25:21.320
 elders of the

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:21.879
 people came

00:25:21.879 --> 00:25:22.460
 up to him

00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:23.240
 as he was

00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:23.859
 teaching and

00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:24.639
 said, by

00:25:24.639 --> 00:25:25.419
 what authority

00:25:25.419 --> 00:25:26.039
 are you doing

00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:26.659
 these things?

00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:28.339
 And who gave

00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:28.700
 you this

00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:29.139
 authority?

00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:30.720
 Keep the

00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:31.480
 narrative context

00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:32.039
 in mind, what

00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:32.879
 we looked at a

00:25:32.879 --> 00:25:33.259
 couple weeks

00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:33.539
 ago.

00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:34.039
 On the

00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:34.859
 previous day

00:25:34.859 --> 00:25:35.519
 before this,

00:25:35.679 --> 00:25:36.759
 Jesus cleansed

00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:37.279
 the temple,

00:25:37.919 --> 00:25:38.859
 driving out all

00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:39.220
 the money

00:25:39.220 --> 00:25:39.939
 changers and

00:25:39.939 --> 00:25:40.339
 the pigeon

00:25:40.339 --> 00:25:41.039
 sellers who

00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:41.960
 were turning

00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:43.319
 the house of

00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:43.759
 prayer, what

00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:44.240
 ought to be a

00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:44.539
 house of

00:25:44.539 --> 00:25:45.000
 prayer, into

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:45.399
 a den of

00:25:45.399 --> 00:25:45.779
 robbers.

00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:47.799
 And in

00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:48.279
 doing so he

00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:49.099
 infuriated the

00:25:49.099 --> 00:25:49.720
 Jewish religious

00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:50.319
 establishment.

00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:51.319
 And having

00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:51.899
 cleansed the

00:25:51.899 --> 00:25:52.419
 temple the

00:25:52.419 --> 00:25:53.019
 previous day,

00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:53.879
 Jesus returns

00:25:53.879 --> 00:25:54.439
 to the temple

00:25:54.439 --> 00:25:54.919
 in the morning

00:25:54.919 --> 00:25:55.619
 and then he

00:25:55.619 --> 00:25:56.240
 begins to

00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:56.899
 teach the

00:25:56.899 --> 00:25:57.359
 people that

00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:57.740
 are there.

00:25:59.259 --> 00:25:59.839
 And the

00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:00.359
 chief priests

00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:00.639
 and the

00:26:00.639 --> 00:26:01.399
 elders cannot

00:26:01.399 --> 00:26:02.700
 believe this

00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:03.480
 man's shameless

00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:04.119
 boldness.

00:26:06.220 --> 00:26:07.039
 Imagine if you

00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:07.519
 were a teacher

00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:08.839
 at a school and

00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:09.240
 then someone

00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:09.859
 comes into your

00:26:09.859 --> 00:26:11.019
 classroom, gets

00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.659
 rid of all the

00:26:11.659 --> 00:26:12.259
 stuff and the

00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:12.799
 furnishings that

00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.019
 you use to do

00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:14.659
 whatever you do

00:26:14.659 --> 00:26:15.859
 there, and then

00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:16.579
 starts teaching

00:26:16.579 --> 00:26:17.399
 your students.

00:26:19.399 --> 00:26:20.079
 Excuse me?

00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:20.679
 What are you

00:26:20.679 --> 00:26:21.000
 doing here?

00:26:22.579 --> 00:26:23.419
 Can I see your

00:26:23.419 --> 00:26:23.899
 badge?

00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:25.079
 Can I see your

00:26:25.079 --> 00:26:25.460
 license?

00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:27.059
 Who gave you the

00:26:27.059 --> 00:26:28.559
 authority to do

00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:29.000
 this?

00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:31.039
 By what authority

00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:31.480
 are you doing

00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:32.000
 these things and

00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:32.939
 who gave you

00:26:32.939 --> 00:26:33.799
 this authority?

00:26:35.019 --> 00:26:36.379
 Because we are

00:26:36.379 --> 00:26:37.220
 the chief priests

00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:37.799
 and the elders

00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:40.539
 and we did not

00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:41.339
 authorize you to

00:26:41.339 --> 00:26:41.879
 do this.

00:26:44.379 --> 00:26:45.359
 The chief priests

00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:46.460
 and the elders I

00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.259
 think intended to

00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:48.039
 trap Jesus with

00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:48.619
 this question.

00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:49.659
 On the one

00:26:49.659 --> 00:26:50.299
 hand, if Jesus

00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:50.859
 says that his

00:26:50.859 --> 00:26:51.479
 authority comes

00:26:51.479 --> 00:26:52.619
 from God, that

00:26:52.619 --> 00:26:53.739
 he's working and

00:26:53.739 --> 00:26:55.199
 teaching with divine

00:26:55.199 --> 00:26:56.779
 authority, then they

00:26:56.779 --> 00:26:57.939
 could accuse him of

00:26:57.939 --> 00:27:00.019
 blasphemy, which is

00:27:00.019 --> 00:27:00.759
 exactly what they

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.539
 will do in a few

00:27:01.539 --> 00:27:02.500
 short days in Matthew

00:27:02.500 --> 00:27:04.459
 26, 64, 66, when

00:27:04.459 --> 00:27:05.959
 they condemn Jesus, the

00:27:05.959 --> 00:27:06.479
 Jewish council

00:27:06.479 --> 00:27:07.339
 condemns Jesus to

00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:07.559
 death.

00:27:08.239 --> 00:27:08.979
 And remember in

00:27:08.979 --> 00:27:10.059
 verse 16 of this

00:27:10.059 --> 00:27:10.699
 chapter, Jesus

00:27:10.699 --> 00:27:12.379
 quoted Psalm 8, verse

00:27:12.379 --> 00:27:13.759
 2, which speaks of

00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:15.479
 the children crying out

00:27:15.479 --> 00:27:16.579
 the praises of God,

00:27:16.579 --> 00:27:17.980
 and Jesus applied

00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:18.980
 that passage to

00:27:18.980 --> 00:27:19.539
 himself.

00:27:22.220 --> 00:27:23.179
 Oh, they could use

00:27:23.179 --> 00:27:23.859
 that against him.

00:27:25.819 --> 00:27:26.899
 On the other hand,

00:27:27.259 --> 00:27:28.419
 if Jesus says that

00:27:28.419 --> 00:27:29.179
 his authority comes

00:27:29.179 --> 00:27:31.240
 from man, then they

00:27:31.240 --> 00:27:32.039
 can point out that

00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:33.179
 they are the

00:27:33.179 --> 00:27:34.119
 legitimate human

00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:34.539
 authorities.

00:27:35.539 --> 00:27:36.960
 And they never

00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:37.720
 authorized him.

00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:41.119
 They can discredit

00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:42.159
 him in one fell

00:27:42.159 --> 00:27:42.679
 swoop.

00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.000
 And that, of course,

00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:44.779
 was their massive

00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:45.960
 theological mistake.

00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:47.279
 They think that the

00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:48.200
 temple of God belongs

00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:50.200
 to them, that they're

00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:51.139
 the custodians of the

00:27:51.139 --> 00:27:52.059
 temple, not realizing

00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:52.759
 that they're speaking

00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:55.279
 with the only begotten

00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:57.099
 Son of God, begotten of

00:27:57.099 --> 00:27:58.139
 the Father before all

00:27:58.139 --> 00:28:00.059
 worlds, God of God and

00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:01.639
 light of light, very God

00:28:01.639 --> 00:28:03.139
 of very God, begotten,

00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:04.940
 not made, being of one

00:28:04.940 --> 00:28:05.799
 substance with the

00:28:05.799 --> 00:28:07.059
 Father by whom all

00:28:07.059 --> 00:28:07.740
 things were made.

00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:11.139
 Jesus perceives the

00:28:11.139 --> 00:28:11.859
 Jewish leaders'

00:28:11.859 --> 00:28:14.419
 intentions, their

00:28:14.419 --> 00:28:16.000
 duplicity, and he

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.119
 asks them a question

00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:17.659
 about John the

00:28:17.659 --> 00:28:19.539
 Baptist, which catches

00:28:19.539 --> 00:28:20.279
 them in their own

00:28:20.279 --> 00:28:20.599
 trap.

00:28:21.619 --> 00:28:22.759
 He says in verses 24

00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:24.679
 to 25, I also will

00:28:24.679 --> 00:28:25.639
 ask you one question,

00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:26.419
 and if you tell me

00:28:26.419 --> 00:28:27.159
 the answer, then I

00:28:27.159 --> 00:28:28.119
 also will tell you by

00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:29.039
 what authority I do

00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:29.579
 these things.

00:28:30.159 --> 00:28:31.299
 The baptism of John,

00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.899
 from where did it

00:28:32.899 --> 00:28:33.119
 come?

00:28:33.339 --> 00:28:34.299
 From heaven or from

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:34.559
 man?

00:28:35.979 --> 00:28:37.299
 John the Baptist was

00:28:37.299 --> 00:28:38.299
 earlier described in

00:28:38.299 --> 00:28:39.419
 Matthew 3 as the one

00:28:39.419 --> 00:28:41.519
 who prepared the way for

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.460
 the Lord God and for

00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:43.099
 the Lord Jesus.

00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:45.079
 He did this by

00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:45.960
 preaching in Matthew

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:47.539
 3 verse 2, repent for

00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:48.819
 the kingdom of God, or

00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:49.900
 the kingdom of heaven is

00:28:49.900 --> 00:28:50.339
 at hand.

00:28:51.400 --> 00:28:52.400
 And then when Jesus

00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:53.420
 arrived on the scene,

00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:54.759
 Jesus preached the

00:28:54.759 --> 00:28:55.819
 exact same message in

00:28:55.819 --> 00:28:56.900
 Matthew 4 verse 17,

00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:58.319
 repent for the kingdom

00:28:58.319 --> 00:28:59.240
 of heaven is at hand.

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:01.579
 So Jesus' ministry has

00:29:01.579 --> 00:29:02.619
 been along the same

00:29:02.619 --> 00:29:04.039
 vein as the ministry of

00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:06.420
 John the Baptist, because

00:29:06.420 --> 00:29:07.379
 John was Jesus'

00:29:07.619 --> 00:29:08.240
 precursor.

00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:10.559
 And the people

00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:11.559
 understood this.

00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:13.680
 And this is why Jesus

00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:14.579
 asked the religious

00:29:14.579 --> 00:29:15.299
 leaders the question

00:29:15.299 --> 00:29:16.259
 about John the Baptist.

00:29:16.500 --> 00:29:17.420
 You question my

00:29:17.420 --> 00:29:18.660
 authority, well, what do

00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:19.660
 you make of John the

00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:19.980
 Baptist?

00:29:21.019 --> 00:29:22.319
 How did you regard my

00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:22.900
 precursor?

00:29:24.660 --> 00:29:25.599
 And notice that Jesus

00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:26.859
 specifically singles out

00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:28.559
 the baptism of John,

00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:30.539
 which is probably to the

00:29:30.539 --> 00:29:32.400
 Jewish leaders the most

00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:33.900
 odious aspect, the most,

00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:35.700
 the aspect of John's

00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.319
 ministry that they

00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:37.559
 despise the most.

00:29:39.420 --> 00:29:40.779
 We saw in chapter 3

00:29:40.779 --> 00:29:41.740
 that John took the

00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:42.920
 concept of Jewish

00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:45.080
 proselyte baptism, which

00:29:45.080 --> 00:29:46.019
 they reserved for

00:29:46.019 --> 00:29:47.220
 Gentiles who were

00:29:47.220 --> 00:29:48.360
 converting to Judaism,

00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:49.220
 they would baptize

00:29:49.220 --> 00:29:49.460
 them.

00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:51.160
 And then John took that

00:29:51.160 --> 00:29:52.100
 idea and he started

00:29:52.100 --> 00:29:56.160
 baptizing Jews, conveying

00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:57.500
 the radical idea, even

00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:58.880
 if you are among the

00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:00.460
 ethnic people of God, the

00:30:00.460 --> 00:30:01.340
 chosen people of God in

00:30:01.340 --> 00:30:03.340
 Israel, you cannot take

00:30:03.340 --> 00:30:03.900
 that for granted.

00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:05.320
 You must not repent of

00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:06.860
 your sins and trust in

00:30:06.860 --> 00:30:08.680
 the Messiah in order to

00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:09.240
 be saved.

00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:17.000
 And that was unthinkable

00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:17.580
 to the Jewish

00:30:17.580 --> 00:30:18.180
 establishment.

00:30:20.519 --> 00:30:22.560
 How dare you suggest

00:30:22.560 --> 00:30:26.560
 that we need to be

00:30:26.560 --> 00:30:26.920
 baptized?

00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:34.360
 But they can't give Jesus

00:30:34.360 --> 00:30:35.160
 a straight answer.

00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:36.840
 They don't tell them

00:30:36.840 --> 00:30:38.320
 what they actually

00:30:38.320 --> 00:30:38.620
 think.

00:30:38.680 --> 00:30:38.920
 Why?

00:30:39.380 --> 00:30:40.039
 You can see their

00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:41.060
 internal deliberations in

00:30:41.060 --> 00:30:42.180
 verses 25 to 26.

00:30:42.259 --> 00:30:44.259
 If we say from heaven, he

00:30:44.259 --> 00:30:45.440
 will say to us, why then

00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:46.400
 did you not believe him?

00:30:46.779 --> 00:30:48.180
 But if we say from man, we

00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:49.279
 are afraid of the crowd for

00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:50.380
 they all hold that John was

00:30:50.380 --> 00:30:50.900
 a prophet.

00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:53.440
 Their opinion was at

00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.460
 odds with the popular

00:30:54.460 --> 00:30:55.799
 sentiment and so they

00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:57.000
 can't voice it.

00:30:57.740 --> 00:30:58.700
 Most of the crowd

00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:00.120
 revered John the Baptist

00:31:00.120 --> 00:31:01.480
 and considered him a true

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:02.400
 prophet of the Lord because

00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:02.880
 he was.

00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:05.120
 If they dismissed John's

00:31:05.120 --> 00:31:06.519
 baptism as merely man's

00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:07.500
 invention, then they would

00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:09.420
 find themselves sidelined by

00:31:09.420 --> 00:31:10.880
 the crowd as out-of-touch

00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:11.400
 elites.

00:31:12.340 --> 00:31:13.819
 But if they concede that

00:31:13.819 --> 00:31:15.279
 John's baptism indeed came

00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:16.299
 from God, then they

00:31:16.299 --> 00:31:17.620
 themselves make, they make

00:31:17.620 --> 00:31:18.960
 themselves liable to Jesus'

00:31:19.140 --> 00:31:19.779
 accusation.

00:31:20.140 --> 00:31:22.100
 Why then did you not believe

00:31:22.099 --> 00:31:22.359
 him?

00:31:23.719 --> 00:31:24.759
 Neither option is

00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:25.619
 acceptable to them, so

00:31:25.619 --> 00:31:27.599
 they answer, we do not

00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:27.939
 know.

00:31:29.159 --> 00:31:30.559
 Which then allows Jesus to

00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:32.139
 say, neither will I tell

00:31:32.139 --> 00:31:33.419
 you by what authority I do

00:31:33.419 --> 00:31:34.000
 these things.

00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:36.639
 Jesus will, in a few short

00:31:36.639 --> 00:31:38.240
 days, openly claim that he

00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:39.740
 is the divine son of God

00:31:39.740 --> 00:31:41.599
 while he's on trial.

00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:43.939
 However, now is not the

00:31:43.939 --> 00:31:46.199
 time of his death, but even

00:31:46.199 --> 00:31:48.500
 now, his implicit claim is

00:31:48.500 --> 00:31:48.939
 obvious.

00:31:49.799 --> 00:31:50.839
 John's ministry was

00:31:50.839 --> 00:31:52.720
 authorized by heaven, by

00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:53.359
 God himself.

00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:55.259
 How much more than the

00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:56.299
 ministry of Jesus, the

00:31:56.299 --> 00:31:57.720
 messianic king that John

00:31:57.720 --> 00:31:58.899
 was merely preparing the

00:31:58.899 --> 00:31:59.480
 way for?

00:32:01.399 --> 00:32:03.159
 If John himself, as Jesus

00:32:03.159 --> 00:32:04.699
 said in Matthew 11, 9, was

00:32:04.699 --> 00:32:07.159
 more than a prophet, how

00:32:07.159 --> 00:32:09.459
 much more so Jesus, of whom

00:32:09.459 --> 00:32:11.079
 John said in Matthew 3, 11,

00:32:11.339 --> 00:32:13.599
 I baptize you with water for

00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:14.819
 repentance, but he who is

00:32:14.819 --> 00:32:16.279
 coming after me is mightier

00:32:16.279 --> 00:32:18.019
 than I, whose sandals I am

00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:19.099
 not worthy to carry.

00:32:19.099 --> 00:32:21.199
 He will baptize you with the

00:32:21.199 --> 00:32:22.319
 Holy Spirit and fire.

00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:25.139
 The chief priests and the

00:32:25.139 --> 00:32:27.679
 elders held their positions

00:32:27.679 --> 00:32:30.019
 at the behest of Rome, but

00:32:30.019 --> 00:32:31.139
 Jesus and John the Baptist

00:32:31.139 --> 00:32:32.879
 before him derived their

00:32:32.879 --> 00:32:34.740
 authority from heaven, from

00:32:34.740 --> 00:32:35.339
 God himself.

00:32:36.939 --> 00:32:38.719
 But why couldn't the chief

00:32:38.719 --> 00:32:40.319
 priests and the elders not

00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:42.139
 recognize Jesus' superior

00:32:42.139 --> 00:32:43.059
 heavenly authority?

00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:47.379
 I think the reason can be

00:32:47.379 --> 00:32:48.460
 inferred.

00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:51.339
 They had too much to lose.

00:32:54.179 --> 00:32:55.339
 Imagine the chief priests

00:32:55.339 --> 00:32:56.579
 and the elders who are the

00:32:56.579 --> 00:32:57.579
 leaders and teachers of the

00:32:57.579 --> 00:32:59.019
 Jewish people having to admit

00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:01.179
 they themselves are sinners

00:33:01.179 --> 00:33:02.299
 who must repent and be

00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:02.619
 baptized.

00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:07.779
 Imagine them sitting under the

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:09.240
 teaching of this upstart

00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:11.059
 preacher from Nazareth who was

00:33:11.059 --> 00:33:13.200
 not authorized by any reputable

00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:14.259
 human institution.

00:33:17.119 --> 00:33:19.259
 Jesus has challenged up to

00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:20.659
 this point in the gospel many

00:33:20.659 --> 00:33:21.599
 of the teachings and

00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:24.039
 traditions held by the chief

00:33:24.039 --> 00:33:24.859
 priests and the elders.

00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:27.500
 Imagine having to own up to

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:28.839
 the fact that they were wrong

00:33:28.839 --> 00:33:30.579
 about so many things.

00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:35.519
 The fear, the humiliation.

00:33:37.019 --> 00:33:38.339
 When people have a vested

00:33:38.339 --> 00:33:39.779
 interest in the status quo, they

00:33:39.779 --> 00:33:41.180
 are very resistant to change.

00:33:42.579 --> 00:33:43.660
 They resort to confirmation

00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:45.019
 bias and ignore the

00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:46.099
 contradictory evidence.

00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:48.139
 They resort to tribalism and

00:33:48.139 --> 00:33:50.019
 they close ranks to protect

00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:52.399
 their own, their tribe, in this

00:33:52.399 --> 00:33:53.660
 case the Jewish establishment.

00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:56.619
 They were too entrenched in

00:33:56.619 --> 00:33:57.559
 their positions of power.

00:34:00.119 --> 00:34:01.899
 How many people in positions of

00:34:01.899 --> 00:34:04.259
 power have failed to admit

00:34:04.259 --> 00:34:06.839
 their disqualifying failures

00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:08.019
 because they love their

00:34:08.019 --> 00:34:08.960
 positions too much?

00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:17.920
 Several members of our church

00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:19.559
 were previously part of churches

00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:22.519
 where very sadly pastors

00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:23.639
 committed adultery.

00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:27.559
 It's grievous that they

00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:29.820
 committed adultery at all.

00:34:30.539 --> 00:34:32.400
 But what's even more grievous to

00:34:32.400 --> 00:34:34.759
 me is that they do that for years

00:34:34.760 --> 00:34:39.700
 and then only confessed after

00:34:39.700 --> 00:34:40.340
 they're caught?

00:34:44.140 --> 00:34:45.580
 Were they not bothered in their

00:34:45.580 --> 00:34:46.820
 conscience before that point?

00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:50.660
 I know the Holy Spirit does not

00:34:50.660 --> 00:34:52.420
 wait years to convict us of sin.

00:34:52.420 --> 00:34:58.420
 But that's the danger and

00:34:58.420 --> 00:34:59.720
 seduction of power and

00:34:59.720 --> 00:35:00.200
 reputation.

00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:04.920
 The ministry exists for Christ,

00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:07.059
 not Christ for the ministry.

00:35:10.059 --> 00:35:12.039
 Shouldn't we rather step down

00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:14.079
 from our positions and bring

00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:19.719
 disrepute to Christ and to his

00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:21.900
 church rather than stay in our

00:35:21.900 --> 00:35:23.059
 positions because we don't want

00:35:23.059 --> 00:35:24.279
 to bring disrepute to our own

00:35:24.279 --> 00:35:24.539
 name?

00:35:28.860 --> 00:35:29.799
 God help us.

00:35:31.299 --> 00:35:33.380
 In 1 Timothy 6, 5, Paul denounces

00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:35.000
 those who are depraved in mind and

00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.719
 deprived of the truth, imagining that

00:35:36.719 --> 00:35:38.299
 godliness is a means of gain.

00:35:39.659 --> 00:35:42.299
 Godliness is not a means of gain.

00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:46.820
 We pursue godliness because it

00:35:46.820 --> 00:35:50.160
 pleases God as an end in and of

00:35:50.160 --> 00:35:52.460
 itself, not because it brings us some

00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:54.380
 profit or position or power.

00:35:56.800 --> 00:35:59.280
 The higher up you go, the further you

00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:00.039
 have to fall.

00:36:01.120 --> 00:36:04.140
 And I think success and fame for

00:36:04.140 --> 00:36:06.019
 these reasons are dangerous

00:36:06.019 --> 00:36:06.660
 temptations.

00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:09.820
 We become more fearful of falling.

00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:15.960
 What are your positions and stations

00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:21.500
 and relations in life that would

00:36:21.500 --> 00:36:23.720
 jeopardize, that you would jeopardize

00:36:23.720 --> 00:36:24.820
 by submitting to Christ?

00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:30.380
 Do you stand to lose your sterling

00:36:30.380 --> 00:36:32.180
 academic reputation by admitting that

00:36:32.180 --> 00:36:33.680
 you are a church-going, Bible-believing

00:36:33.680 --> 00:36:34.080
 Christian?

00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:38.519
 Are you willing to admit that you

00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:39.960
 were wrong about something when

00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:41.420
 confronted by the truth of God's

00:36:41.420 --> 00:36:41.619
 word?

00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:46.920
 Are you willing to confess your sins to

00:36:46.920 --> 00:36:49.799
 others, even if it's really

00:36:49.799 --> 00:36:50.279
 embarrassing?

00:36:54.279 --> 00:36:56.539
 Rosaria Butterfield was a tenured

00:36:56.539 --> 00:36:58.319
 associate professor of English,

00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:00.719
 women's studies, and queer theory at

00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:01.659
 Syracuse University.

00:37:03.719 --> 00:37:06.439
 She was in a lesbian relationship with

00:37:06.439 --> 00:37:08.939
 a woman who was an adjunct professor

00:37:08.939 --> 00:37:11.000
 of sociology or psychology at a

00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:13.480
 nearby university, and she had been in

00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:16.699
 and out of serially monogamous lesbian

00:37:16.699 --> 00:37:18.679
 relationships for a decade and had been

00:37:18.679 --> 00:37:21.179
 a gay rights activist for two years.

00:37:24.059 --> 00:37:26.219
 By her own admission, she hated the

00:37:26.219 --> 00:37:29.139
 Bible and teaching and taught thousands

00:37:29.139 --> 00:37:30.940
 of college students to do the same.

00:37:34.679 --> 00:37:37.400
 And she writes, I did all of this

00:37:37.400 --> 00:37:39.379
 because I believed with my whole heart

00:37:39.379 --> 00:37:41.819
 that I was gay and that gay was good.

00:37:45.579 --> 00:37:49.759
 Imagine her giving her life to Christ.

00:37:50.420 --> 00:37:52.559
 How inconvenient and disruptive that

00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:56.179
 would be to her entire life, her career,

00:37:56.179 --> 00:37:59.039
 her social life, her family.

00:38:01.399 --> 00:38:03.299
 But that's precisely what God did in her

00:38:03.299 --> 00:38:03.579
 life.

00:38:05.059 --> 00:38:07.000
 A pastor and his wife lovingly and

00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:08.619
 patiently shared the gospel with her

00:38:08.619 --> 00:38:11.319
 over hundreds of meals at their house.

00:38:13.399 --> 00:38:15.339
 And after two years of meeting with

00:38:15.339 --> 00:38:16.819
 them and reading the Bible and learning

00:38:16.819 --> 00:38:18.899
 to sing the Psalms, she finally gave her

00:38:18.899 --> 00:38:19.599
 life to Jesus.

00:38:20.379 --> 00:38:22.019
 And then consequently, she says, she broke

00:38:22.019 --> 00:38:25.119
 up with her lesbian partner, grew out her

00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:27.699
 butch haircut, and then tried to remove

00:38:27.699 --> 00:38:28.780
 all of her piercings.

00:38:28.900 --> 00:38:29.940
 I think the key word is try.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:31.000
 She couldn't get it all out.

00:38:35.759 --> 00:38:36.980
 And she writes this.

00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:40.519
 The gospel, a singular clarion call,

00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:43.719
 a cleft of light in a cavern of darkness,

00:38:44.219 --> 00:38:47.199
 shattered and beckoned me all at once.

00:38:47.199 --> 00:38:49.719
 The truth of Christ's death and

00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:51.460
 resurrection was a truth over which I

00:38:51.460 --> 00:38:52.939
 had no interpretive authority.

00:38:53.480 --> 00:38:55.399
 It was going to be true whether I

00:38:55.399 --> 00:38:56.359
 believed it or not.

00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:00.539
 She continues, my conversion was messy

00:39:00.539 --> 00:39:01.259
 and dangerous.

00:39:01.739 --> 00:39:04.219
 I lost friends and cultural capital.

00:39:04.819 --> 00:39:06.699
 I did not lose my job because I was

00:39:06.699 --> 00:39:08.699
 tenured, but I did have to go before my

00:39:08.699 --> 00:39:10.379
 tenure board and explain what happened to

00:39:10.379 --> 00:39:10.519
 me.

00:39:10.719 --> 00:39:11.379
 That was fun.

00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:15.039
 I was now despised by the people I

00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:17.759
 loved, but one thing was clear.

00:39:18.340 --> 00:39:21.480
 I was once God's enemy, but now I was

00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:22.579
 God's friend.

00:39:23.659 --> 00:39:26.380
 I learned, and I'm still learning how to

00:39:26.380 --> 00:39:27.900
 repent of my sin and its roots.

00:39:28.420 --> 00:39:30.420
 I learned that repentance was the

00:39:30.420 --> 00:39:33.159
 threshold to a holy God and a lifeline

00:39:33.159 --> 00:39:34.599
 of Christian fruits.

00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:34.699
 Jesus.

00:39:43.900 --> 00:39:45.739
 Are you willing to change your mind and

00:39:45.739 --> 00:39:48.159
 believe in the Son of Heaven, even if it

00:39:48.159 --> 00:39:50.799
 means that you lose your position and

00:39:50.799 --> 00:39:51.279
 your power?

00:39:55.380 --> 00:39:57.519
 Jesus' parable of the two sons in verses

00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:59.500
 28 to 31 make the same point from

00:39:59.500 --> 00:40:00.099
 another angle.

00:40:00.860 --> 00:40:01.759
 What do you think?

00:40:01.779 --> 00:40:03.759
 A man had two sons, and he went to the

00:40:03.760 --> 00:40:05.640
 first and said, Son, go and work in the

00:40:05.640 --> 00:40:06.180
 vineyard today.

00:40:06.580 --> 00:40:08.200
 And he answered, I will not.

00:40:08.620 --> 00:40:10.440
 But afterward, he changed his mind and

00:40:10.440 --> 00:40:10.700
 went.

00:40:11.260 --> 00:40:13.300
 And he went to the other son and said the

00:40:13.300 --> 00:40:13.540
 same.

00:40:14.220 --> 00:40:16.640
 And he answered, I will, sir, but did not

00:40:16.640 --> 00:40:16.920
 go.

00:40:17.720 --> 00:40:20.340
 Which of the two did the will of his

00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:20.720
 father?

00:40:21.500 --> 00:40:23.200
 They said, the first.

00:40:25.100 --> 00:40:28.300
 Like the fig tree, a son is also an

00:40:28.300 --> 00:40:29.900
 important metaphor for the people of God

00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:30.540
 in the Old Testament.

00:40:30.539 --> 00:40:33.519
 For example, in Exodus 4, 22 to 23, God

00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:35.840
 tells Moses to tell Pharaoh, thus says

00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:38.239
 the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I

00:40:38.239 --> 00:40:40.559
 say to you, let my son go that he may

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.279
 serve me.

00:40:41.880 --> 00:40:44.179
 And this is what precedes the judgment of

00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:47.059
 the Passover, the slaying of the firstborn

00:40:47.059 --> 00:40:47.699
 males in Egypt.

00:40:48.960 --> 00:40:51.219
 So Jesus is once again making a pointed

00:40:51.219 --> 00:40:53.380
 comment about the Jewish people and about

00:40:53.380 --> 00:40:54.800
 the Jewish leaders in particular.

00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:58.219
 Israel had made a covenant with Yahweh,

00:40:58.219 --> 00:40:58.879
 with the Lord.

00:40:59.839 --> 00:41:02.899
 They had insisted in Joshua, Joshua 24, 16,

00:41:03.019 --> 00:41:05.339
 far be it from us that we should forsake

00:41:05.339 --> 00:41:06.719
 the Lord to serve other gods.

00:41:07.059 --> 00:41:08.980
 For it is the Lord our God who brought us

00:41:08.980 --> 00:41:11.419
 out and our fathers up from the land of

00:41:11.419 --> 00:41:13.699
 Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who

00:41:13.699 --> 00:41:15.519
 did those great signs in our sight and

00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:17.419
 preserved us in all the way that we went.

00:41:17.779 --> 00:41:19.579
 And among all the peoples through whom we

00:41:19.579 --> 00:41:22.299
 passed, and the Lord drove out before us all

00:41:22.299 --> 00:41:24.099
 the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the

00:41:24.099 --> 00:41:24.379
 land.

00:41:24.380 --> 00:41:27.539
 Therefore, we also will serve the Lord, for

00:41:27.539 --> 00:41:29.619
 he is our God.

00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:33.460
 But they did forsake the Lord and serve

00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:34.079
 other gods.

00:41:35.340 --> 00:41:37.519
 They were like the son who told the father,

00:41:38.220 --> 00:41:38.880
 I will, sir.

00:41:39.500 --> 00:41:40.820
 I'll do what you ask me to do.

00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:44.519
 And then didn't go to the vineyard to do the

00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:44.800
 work.

00:41:46.460 --> 00:41:48.460
 But God says it would have been better for

00:41:48.460 --> 00:41:50.240
 them to have answered, I will not.

00:41:50.900 --> 00:41:53.000
 And then afterward, change their mind and

00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:54.420
 go.

00:41:54.820 --> 00:41:57.800
 The phrase, doing the will of the father, is

00:41:57.800 --> 00:41:59.619
 one that Jesus has used a couple times

00:41:59.619 --> 00:42:00.679
 already in the Gospel of Matthew.

00:42:00.840 --> 00:42:03.300
 In chapter 7, verse 21, Jesus said, not

00:42:03.300 --> 00:42:05.099
 everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will

00:42:05.099 --> 00:42:07.239
 enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one

00:42:07.239 --> 00:42:09.519
 who does the will of my father who is in

00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:09.719
 heaven.

00:42:11.219 --> 00:42:12.960
 Likewise, in chapter 12, verse 50, Jesus

00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:14.820
 said, whoever does the will of my father

00:42:14.820 --> 00:42:16.820
 in heaven is my brother and sister and

00:42:16.820 --> 00:42:17.119
 mother.

00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:20.880
 You might say one thing with your mouth,

00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:23.240
 but do your actions betray your words?

00:42:25.260 --> 00:42:28.460
 You might say Jesus is Lord, but is your

00:42:28.460 --> 00:42:30.180
 life actually submitted to him?

00:42:32.780 --> 00:42:35.000
 What are the areas of your life that are in

00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:36.599
 conflict with the word of God?

00:42:36.599 --> 00:42:42.039
 Jesus says to them in verses 31 to 32,

00:42:42.179 --> 00:42:44.039
 truly I say to you, the tax collectors and

00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:45.880
 the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God

00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:46.539
 before you.

00:42:47.099 --> 00:42:48.639
 For John came to you in the way of

00:42:48.639 --> 00:42:50.559
 righteousness, and you did not believe him,

00:42:50.679 --> 00:42:52.719
 but the tax collectors and the prostitutes

00:42:52.719 --> 00:42:53.460
 believed him.

00:42:53.920 --> 00:42:56.019
 And even when you saw it, you did not

00:42:56.019 --> 00:42:58.099
 afterward change your minds and believe

00:42:58.099 --> 00:42:58.339
 him.

00:42:59.400 --> 00:43:01.460
 Once again, Jesus invokes how the Jewish

00:43:01.460 --> 00:43:03.639
 leaders rejected John the Baptist.

00:43:03.639 --> 00:43:06.339
 The Jewish leaders said that they would do

00:43:06.339 --> 00:43:08.079
 God's will, but they didn't.

00:43:08.539 --> 00:43:10.920
 But the tax collectors and prostitutes

00:43:10.920 --> 00:43:12.500
 who said that they wouldn't do God's

00:43:12.500 --> 00:43:14.679
 will are now turning away from their sins

00:43:14.679 --> 00:43:17.460
 and believing in Jesus and doing the

00:43:17.460 --> 00:43:19.679
 will of God and going into the kingdom of

00:43:19.679 --> 00:43:20.539
 God before them.

00:43:22.940 --> 00:43:25.159
 The chief priests and the elders of the

00:43:25.159 --> 00:43:27.960
 people are, they're the teachers of God's

00:43:27.960 --> 00:43:28.219
 law.

00:43:28.879 --> 00:43:31.079
 They're the exemplars that are held up for

00:43:31.079 --> 00:43:33.519
 society to say there are the people who

00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:34.199
 follow God's law.

00:43:34.259 --> 00:43:35.400
 You should follow their example.

00:43:35.619 --> 00:43:39.059
 And the tax collectors and the prostitutes

00:43:39.059 --> 00:43:41.360
 are the scum of Jewish society as the

00:43:41.360 --> 00:43:42.559
 people would think of it.

00:43:43.219 --> 00:43:44.880
 The tax collectors were the Jews who

00:43:44.880 --> 00:43:48.840
 betrayed their own people and are in

00:43:48.840 --> 00:43:51.980
 cahoots with the Romans, the occupiers, to

00:43:51.980 --> 00:43:56.739
 tax, to oppress, to extort money from

00:43:56.739 --> 00:43:58.960
 their own people so they can enrich themselves.

00:43:59.079 --> 00:43:59.719
 They're traitors.

00:43:59.719 --> 00:44:03.739
 The prostitutes are those who are literally

00:44:03.739 --> 00:44:09.679
 whoring after all kinds of people being

00:44:09.679 --> 00:44:10.639
 used and abused.

00:44:15.879 --> 00:44:17.639
 And these are the people that the chief

00:44:17.639 --> 00:44:19.179
 elders, the chief priests and the elders

00:44:19.179 --> 00:44:21.759
 would have looked at and said, God, thank you

00:44:21.760 --> 00:44:23.560
 that I am not like these people.

00:44:27.460 --> 00:44:31.200
 But how can it be that prostitutes and

00:44:31.200 --> 00:44:33.200
 tax collectors are going into the kingdom

00:44:33.200 --> 00:44:36.320
 of God before these Jewish leaders?

00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:41.440
 How can it be that thorn bushes and

00:44:41.440 --> 00:44:44.080
 thistles like prostitutes and tax collectors

00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:46.059
 can bear fruit?

00:44:51.739 --> 00:44:53.360
 If you have really wrestled with this

00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:54.759
 question in your mind, I think you know.

00:44:56.340 --> 00:44:58.380
 We can't, no matter how hard we work,

00:44:58.480 --> 00:44:59.980
 produce fruit in our own lives, in our

00:44:59.980 --> 00:45:00.599
 own strength.

00:45:03.900 --> 00:45:06.099
 Just trying to be a little harder on

00:45:06.099 --> 00:45:07.840
 ourselves and a little bit more disciplined

00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:10.199
 and beating ourselves up for our failures

00:45:10.199 --> 00:45:13.659
 and trying to pick ourselves up by our own

00:45:13.659 --> 00:45:14.980
 bootstraps never work.

00:45:17.379 --> 00:45:20.119
 As Paul Tripp once said, it's like taking

00:45:20.119 --> 00:45:24.119
 a dead tree and then taking some, picking

00:45:24.119 --> 00:45:25.899
 up some fruit from some other places and

00:45:25.899 --> 00:45:28.319
 then stapling them onto the tree.

00:45:29.939 --> 00:45:30.980
 Look at my life.

00:45:31.079 --> 00:45:31.899
 Here, here's a fruit.

00:45:32.500 --> 00:45:33.199
 Look at my life.

00:45:33.279 --> 00:45:33.899
 Here's a fruit.

00:45:33.900 --> 00:45:38.980
 It doesn't work because there's no life,

00:45:39.380 --> 00:45:41.760
 no life giving coming into the fruit.

00:45:41.820 --> 00:45:45.980
 So the fruit just falls and rots because

00:45:45.980 --> 00:45:47.680
 the tree itself is dead.

00:45:48.180 --> 00:45:50.980
 What can sinners like you and me who have

00:45:50.980 --> 00:45:53.420
 messed it all up and have ruined our lives

00:45:53.420 --> 00:45:55.099
 with sin and rebelling against God,

00:45:55.240 --> 00:45:58.539
 whose very roots are rotten up with sin,

00:45:58.760 --> 00:46:01.200
 what hope do we have to ever bear fruit for

00:46:01.200 --> 00:46:02.099
 the kingdom of God?

00:46:03.900 --> 00:46:09.660
 That's why it is prophesied in Isaiah 11.

00:46:10.660 --> 00:46:13.700
 There shall come forth a shoot from the

00:46:13.700 --> 00:46:17.039
 stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots

00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:19.400
 shall bear fruit and the spirit of the

00:46:19.400 --> 00:46:21.099
 Lord shall rest upon him.

00:46:22.280 --> 00:46:24.740
 Isaiah 53 verse 2 says the same thing,

00:46:24.820 --> 00:46:27.039
 speaks of the same plant, the root that

00:46:27.039 --> 00:46:28.340
 comes out of dry ground.

00:46:28.840 --> 00:46:31.139
 Jeremiah 23 5 says, behold, the days are

00:46:31.139 --> 00:46:33.160
 coming, declares the Lord, when I'll raise

00:46:33.159 --> 00:46:36.599
 up for David a righteous branch and he shall

00:46:36.599 --> 00:46:38.639
 reign as king and deal wisely and shall

00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:40.500
 execute justice and righteousness in the

00:46:40.500 --> 00:46:40.960
 land.

00:46:42.759 --> 00:46:43.920
 Zechariah 6 12.

00:46:45.379 --> 00:46:48.420
 And in the New Testament, Jesus himself says

00:46:48.420 --> 00:46:52.799
 in Revelation 22 16, I am the root and the

00:46:52.799 --> 00:46:54.719
 descendant of David from the bare.

00:46:54.719 --> 00:46:59.319
 He is the root, the branch that the prophets prophesied

00:46:59.319 --> 00:46:59.719
 of.

00:47:00.379 --> 00:47:04.659
 He is the live root that is propagated from this

00:47:04.659 --> 00:47:07.059
 barren fig tree that was not bearing fruit.

00:47:07.839 --> 00:47:10.459
 And Jesus came and lived a life of perfect obedience

00:47:10.459 --> 00:47:13.980
 and then he died as a perfect blameless sacrifice on the

00:47:13.980 --> 00:47:18.259
 cross so that all who trust in him are forgiven of their sins

00:47:18.259 --> 00:47:20.579
 and are grafted onto that root.

00:47:20.579 --> 00:47:25.079
 That is our only hope for deriving true spiritual life and

00:47:25.079 --> 00:47:27.279
 bearing real spiritual fruit.

00:47:32.739 --> 00:47:36.880
 So he says in, Jesus says in John 15 5 to 6, I am the vine,

00:47:37.299 --> 00:47:38.400
 you are the branches.

00:47:38.840 --> 00:47:42.119
 Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much

00:47:42.119 --> 00:47:42.440
 fruit.

00:47:42.819 --> 00:47:44.900
 For apart from me, you can do nothing.

00:47:45.840 --> 00:47:49.119
 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a

00:47:49.119 --> 00:47:49.880
 branch and withers.

00:47:51.940 --> 00:47:53.319
 So where is your hope this morning?

00:47:55.299 --> 00:47:57.179
 How do you intend to bear fruit in your life?

00:47:59.440 --> 00:48:03.400
 The only way is to cling to Christ, to change your mind,

00:48:04.559 --> 00:48:07.980
 and to believe in him, trust him, and follow him in every

00:48:07.980 --> 00:48:08.880
 aspect of your life.

00:48:09.839 --> 00:48:11.099
 I pray that God will help you do that.

00:48:11.099 --> 00:48:11.500
 Let's pray.

00:48:19.119 --> 00:48:35.400
 Father, we do confess of our own sinfulness and rottenness apart

00:48:35.400 --> 00:48:36.079
 from Christ.

00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:44.279
 But we thank you for your promise that even prostitutes and tax

00:48:44.280 --> 00:48:46.740
 collectors can go into the kingdom of heaven.

00:48:48.240 --> 00:48:51.060
 If only we'd put our trust in Jesus Christ.

00:48:59.040 --> 00:49:00.860
 So won't you help everyone here, Lord?

00:49:00.860 --> 00:49:10.320
 Those who are not yet grafted into the branch, the vine, the root of

00:49:10.320 --> 00:49:11.099
 Jesus Christ.

00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:14.260
 Give them faith so that they can be grafted on.

00:49:17.260 --> 00:49:22.039
 And Lord, for all those of us who struggle in various ways

00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:27.200
 throughout our daily lives to conform our will to yours,

00:49:27.199 --> 00:49:34.519
 to obey you when it's hard, when it means loss and sacrifice.

00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:39.699
 Help us to do it.

00:49:41.279 --> 00:49:46.839
 Grant us, help us to derive that life from Jesus Christ,

00:49:46.899 --> 00:49:47.719
 which leads to obedience.

00:49:50.579 --> 00:49:52.299
 We pray all of this in Jesus' name.

00:49:52.919 --> 00:49:53.119
 Amen.