Sermon Notes

Matthew 23:1-12 is Jesus’ public address to the crowds and his disciples, primarily denouncing the hypocrisy and pride of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question:  “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”  They replied, “He is the son of David.”   Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,  ‘The LORD said to my Lord,

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.  And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

But Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Everyone is invited to Heaven, but not all get in. The final judgement.

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”  Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?”

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Imago Dei and Human Dignity: the giving of divine breath is connected to the reason we were created.

Empathy is NOT feelings, but actions! Therefore, empathy described in the Bible is AGAPE (LOVE). (John 13:34)