The Coming One
First B Jackson
2021-02-22

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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You can have a seat for a minute. This is the worship through giving part of the service. I'll invite the ushers to come on for but, really, speaking of great things that we just sang about, from Psalm hundred and twenty six three, it says, the Lord has done great things for us. We are glad. Indeed, we are.

Great.

In your faithfulness. Lord, though we are fickle beings, all of us. Lord, we trust in your faithfulness. We look to you and we long to be faithful in the way that you are, Lord. We long to be winsome in the way that Jesus showed us to be.

Lord God almighty, I pray that we would have blessings in our hearts that would overflow out of our mouths, that you would bless the community around us by the way that we use our lives in your service and our words for your glory. In Jesus' name, Lord, we ask you to be very present with us. And God, I'm asking further than that. You already are. You're omnipresent.

I'm asking us to be conscious of it, that we're conscious of your spirit, that we're conscious of what you would have us do if we are straying to the right or to the left, that you would pull us up back into the good old gospel way. Lord, I pray that you would have your way among us this morning and through us. If you have your way among us, Lord, you have your way through us. You can reach this community and this world. Lord, all over the world today, people are wondering what is going to be, and not just wondering, but worried about what is going to be.

God, I pray that you'd give comfort to your people and that we'd be able to share that comfort. I pray that you'd give us the grace, Lord, to be gracious and merciful to others. I pray that you would draw many into your family. In in this, as far as the world goes, Lord, desperate and difficult time, I pray that you, Lord, would use those circumstances and situations to draw people to yourself. In Jesus' name, we pray that you would be very, very present with us and that we would be conscious of.

Amen. Amen. And it's time for Children's Church downstairs. We have a very active children's choir whether y'all know it or not. Y'all ever ever seen them?

We see them. They're right there. This children's choir is loving every minute of the song service. It's so fun to see how much they're enjoying it. So we are moving on right on along through the gospels.

We're going on a harmony of the gospel's journey. So it's a harmony. And last week, we spent time in Matthew 11 and Luke seven and we're gonna spend time in Matthew 11 and Luke seven again today finishing out the chapter in both. This is something that Mark doesn't mention. Next week, we'll be back in the let Mark have a say But John the Baptist relationship to the kingdom is kind of what the sermon is about today.

Plus, words of woe and blessing. Matthew goes on after this section about John the Baptist. Matthew goes on to tell us some words of woe to the cities that are the most familiar with Jesus and his miracles. It's words of woe to the people who saw the miracles. That's an interesting take.

And then there are words of blessing below that. And we'll end a couple of songs I've already alluded to. We'll end at a place of Jesus calling you to come and just rest. So that's where we're headed today. We're gonna take two texts.

Matthew eleven two through 19 to begin with, and then Luke seven eighteen through 35 tells the same story, and then we'll go on and have Matthew go 19 through 30 right there. So here it is. Lord, help us. In Jesus' name, it's a beautiful, beautiful morning. We want to open our hearts to understand what it is that you have written down for us in your word.

This truth, Lord, how will it and how should it affect our lives? Would you show us this morning and allow us the opportunity, lord, to practice it throughout this week. Amen. So now, while in prison, John and then Luke tells us it's John the Baptist because there are several guys named John in the Bible. But while in prison, that kinda narrows it down.

John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples. Now Matthew very specifically calls him Christ right there. I think that that fits Matthew's narrative, and he's trying to give us a chance to see. This he's the Christ. Even if John's doubting right now, he's the Christ.

Okay? In fact, it says the Christ. Now, while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ and sent word by his disciples. Luke says, the disciples of John also reported to John the Baptist about all these things. And after summoning his disciples or two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord saying now if you think back, we're in Matthew 11 right now.

In Matthew four, it says, now when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been taken into custody, Jesus, he withdrew into Galilee. Do you think of Jesus being strategic? I do, but I've been in missionary circles for a long time now. You start figuring out that, you know what? Jesus saw that the temperature there around Jerusalem, around the Jordan where John was baptizing.

It was getting pretty hot, and he needed to strategically retreat from that situation. He could do his works anywhere, and he chose, it says, he withdrew into Galilee and leaving Nazareth. He came and he settled down in Capernaum. Remember the name of the place. It's on the North Western Shore of the Sea Of Galilee.

It's where Peter and Andrew are both from, and it's a place where the man was lowered through the roof. It's a place where a lot of miracles were done. We'll hear about that later on too. Leaving Nazareth, he came and he settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. So Matthew says, now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ and sent word by his disciples and said to him, are you the coming one, or are we to look for someone else now?

Does that just sound desperate? John the Baptist, who very boldly proclaims, even now the axe is being laid to the root of trees, repent every one of you for the kingdom of God is at hand. He knew his message. He knew the message God gave him. It was so internalized that he could not help but share it.

He's a we'll go on and let Jesus call him what he is. But he's gotten to a place where he's probably been in prison for about a year, maybe more than a year. And his question is, are you becoming one, or are we to look for someone else? Maybe I got it wrong. That's, in a way, it's a statement of humility to have that thought.

But at the same time, it's desperation and despair, and you can see it. Luke tells us this. Disciples John also reported to him all of these things. And if you think about these things, in Matthew, we saw that he healed a leper that was untouchable by touching him, and he healed the slave of a Roman centurion at a distance, and he raised the widow of Nain's son from the dead and gave him back to his mother. When John's disciples reported him about all these things, And after summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord saying, are you the coming one or are we to look for another?

Take that message. And when they came to him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, are you the coming one or should we look for another? It's a refrain there. He mentions it twice. It's important.

Now when we look at it and go the coming one after Christ and having two thousand years of experience, we know they're asking, are you messiah Jesus? Are you are are you really the messiah Jesus? Are you the Christ? But they had a lot of different reference to the coming one. Don't feel like the lone ranger.

If you're in deep, deep despair right now and you're doubting and you're thinking, maybe I missed it. Maybe I missed it. I trusted God and maybe I missed it. I thought he said do this. And when I did it in faith, it's not turned out the way that I thought it should.

Maybe you're in despair. I could I could ask for for witness on that. I think I get a few. John's despair is coming through. But think about his situation.

He was arrested by Herod, Herod Antipas, And Herod is an evil guy. He's a bad dude, and he is lascivious. And all of the things that not all the things, most of the things that John was preaching against were not just licentiousness, which Herod was certainly guilty of, but it was legalism, which nobody ever accused Herod of being a legalist. Okay? But John is in prison being the actual voice for the Lord in this time, the last of the prophets.

Right? He is speaking for God and he's in prison and Herod is literally in the palace. He's the king and he's just a bad dude. Lassevious and ugly. So that would lead you to a place of despair.

It leads you to the place of David of how long, oh Lord, how long will my enemies triumph over me? How long will I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? Don't feel like a lone ranger. Even John the Baptist got to that place. This is his message earlier from Luke three.

As for me, I baptize you with water, but he is coming who is mightier than I. He who is coming. He who is coming. It's an anticipatory thing. And John, as a prophet of God, speaks like the prophets of God.

If we go back to Psalm one nineteen, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the coming one. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. Remember when Jesus was going in triumphal entry, this is what they were singing. Right? They recognized it at that point at least.

Zechariah, and you'll flee by the valley of my mountains and the valley of the mountains going down going down. Where is it? Oh, and the Lord my God will come. He's coming. Messiah, Yahweh in this case is coming.

Deuteronomy. I told you this one last week. Moses is standing there and says, look for, be looking for the one that will come. Where is it? I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.

So some people argue over who this one was, but it is the Taeb, the Taeb, the prophet. In John, he says, therefore, when people saw the sign which Jesus had performed, they knew to be looking for a coming one. And when he performed this sign in John six, they said, surely this is the Tacheb. This is the prophet who has come into the world. Malachi, behold, I'm going to send you Elijah.

Okay? In this case, we know the coming one is Elijah. But all of these reference, when John mentions it, I think he's certainly mentioning, are you the Messiah, the one that we've been forecasting? But everybody around him's got different opinions about what he might be talking about. Even down to Habakkuk, I love this verse.

This is the silver lining in a very dark book. For the vision, that vision of God is yet for the appointed time. It hurries towards its goal and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it. Though it delays, wait for it.

If all is not right, right now you think, oh, I know that God says that everything works out in the end, but it's not right. Well, it's not the end. Okay? Though it delays, wait for it, for it will certainly come and it will not delay long. It'll be right on time when it gets here.

Malachi, this last book in the Old Testament. After Malachi, the intertestamental silence begins. It's four hundred years of silence from God and everybody quibbling over the scriptures arguing about what they mean. That's what John comes into. And when we see John's ministry in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and even John, when we see that, that's the end of the intertestamental silence right there.

Ain't that amazing? Malachi says, behold, I am sending my messenger, and he will clear a way before me. And the Lord whom you are seeking will suddenly come into his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of armies. The Lord is coming, in Matthew.

Daniel, I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming. It's future anticipatory. We're looking forward to this. And he came up to the ancient of days and he was presented before him. Are you the one we're looking for or did I get it wrong?

Maybe you were one of these other figures and not the one I was looking for. He was coming as mightier than I. I'm not I'm not fit to untie the straps of his sandals. He'll baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And this is, I think, why John was confused because John's message continues like this.

His winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, and he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. That's the message that I need to repent. Right? And John had the message, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand, and part of his message was the vengeance of the Lord, and it's coming. And what we see in Jesus let's keep going in the text.

But this winnowing fork to John is a a big part of his message. And honestly, it's a big part of a lot of the messages of Christendom throughout all time. Rather than holding out the mercy and the grace and the peace and the love of God for all the nations. Sometimes we circle the wagons and say, God, just come on and get us now. Damn all the rest of these people.

We don't they're not a part of us instead of saying they can be. The winnowing fork is in his hand, a thoroughly clear threshing floor. So it goes on. Jesus answered and said to them, go and report to John what you hear and what you see. Give a personal eyewitness testimony as to what you've seen.

At that very time, Luke says, he cured many people of diseases, and Luke, the doctor, says he cured them of diseases, which are physical ailments, and afflictions and evil spirits. He recognized that not every physical malady is of the demonic, but that some of them are. He gave sight to many who are blind, and he answered and said to them, you go and you report to John what you have seen and what you've heard. People who are blind receive sight. People who limped, walked.

People with leprosy are cleansed. People who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them. Hey, man. That's what's going on. That's what's happening.

And he says, go tell John that. John knows the Old Testament. He's deeply in touch with God, and hearing all those things should reassure John. I'm gonna flash back right here to Luke four for just a minute. This is one of my favorite passages in the whole New Testament, and it's Jesus' first sermon that we have recorded.

So when he stands up at the temple, it says, he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as was his custom, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him and he unrolled the scroll and he found the place where it was written. This is Isaiah 61 by the way. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. What did he say?

Tell John. The gospel is being preached to the poor. Because he sent me to proclaim release to the captives. Wow. John's in prison.

He's waiting on that release. He's waiting on whatever God would have for him, I'm sure, But he knows this text. This is one of them that bounces around with me all the time. And recovery of sight to the blind. Jesus just did that.

To see to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and it says, right there, Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, sat down, and eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at him and he began to say to them, today, the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. So for us, for most of us, we don't know the Old Testament inside out. We don't have it memorized. Most of us, I don't. The next line after to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, the very next line is, and the day of vengeance of our God.

Now Nazareth the Nazareth folk there at the synagogue that day know Isaiah 61. It's been read on a cycle every every two or three years for throughout their whole lives, and this is one of their favorites because God vanquishes all of our enemies. And Jesus sang the song all the way up to their favorite verse, rolled up the scroll and sat down. He's proclaiming the acceptable day of the Lord. There's a real invitation.

It's right here for anybody who would accept it. And the day of vengeance of our God was put on hold. He rolled it up, gave the scroll back, said, today, this scripture is fulfilled. That was the beginning of Jesus' ministry that we know about. His first sermon.

And here we are in Luke seven and in Matthew 11, and it says, and blessed is any person who does not take offense at me. It all comes down to what you believe about Jesus. And either he will be an offense for saying you need a savior or he will be your savior when you call up to him. Blessed is anyone who does not take offense at me. I don't usually share with y'all straight commentary, but I'm going to this morning.

This verse, those who are not scandalized by preconceived ideas of the messianic task because they had preconceived ideas about the messianic task. We're being oppressed by Rome, and we want for that king like David to come and just vanquish Goliath, our enemies around us, all around us. Those who are not scandalized by their own preconceived ideas of the messianic task, but instead, judged by what they see happening, will know that Jesus is indeed the promised one. And as a result, they will be blessed. Think about that.

There are still bad guys in this world that God is still saving. He's still proclaiming the acceptable time of the Lord until he comes again. And we need to be proclaiming that. Next lines here. Those how however, who are offended because of their preconceived notions of how God should act, their preconceived notions and by what they do not see happening such as judgment of the nations or restoration of political independence or greatness for Israel, they will miss out on this blessing.

Open your heart to what God is doing, not what you want him to do. As the disciples of John were going away. This is interesting too. So these guys come and he said, just go tell John what you see and you hear. This is what's happening.

All of those things were messianic things that Jesus was supposed to do, that the Messiah would do. It was proof I've said a million times. His miracles authenticate his message. And so he said, go tell John the miracles. He already knows the message.

Right? And as those disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John the Baptist. When the messengers of John had left, he began to speak to the crowds about John. Would you all go out to into the wilderness to see? This is about John the Baptist.

What did you all go out into the wilderness to see? A reed that's shaken by the wind? Now that that one is metaphorical, I believe. Could be. Did you just go out there to see nature or, you know But if you think about the winds of change and you think about the winds of culture, we get a lot of voices saying whatever the wind is blowing.

Right? Do you agree with that? There's a grassroots movement. Everybody's upset about such and such a thing. Well, I can see that, and we go with them.

A lot of those grassroots movements are astroturf. They're manufactured and you just kind of go with them. What did you go out to see? Did you go out to see a reed that was shaken by the wind? Is this just a new thing, something blowing by?

The answer in Greek is an obvious no. It's a rhetorical question. No. Of course not. Next question.

What did you go out to see? Did you go out to see a man dressed up in soft clothing? What do we know about John the Baptist? This is what we know about John the Baptist. He's a rough looking dude.

He's the easiest person to spot in a Renaissance Renaissance painting. Everybody else has got drapery all over. He's in some kind of animal skin. He's got a long cross because it's a long way to the cross. He's preaching.

A lot of times you'll see the leather belt or the the locust and honey sometimes but he's he's just living off the land. He's a rough character. He's a rough dude. The word for soft there is soft or effeminate. That's the word.

Just is. Malikois, malikois, hematois. Malikois, hematois is soft clothing. Could be effeminate clothing. Would you go out to see a man dressed up in soft clothing?

Somebody who's finely arrayed is the way that you might say it. By the way, we see people dressed up in all kinds of finery these days who are blown about the winds of culture and they're begging for you to listen to them about whatever they're saying. But what you go out to see? Did you see a man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed like this and live in luxury are found in royal palaces.

I think Jesus just made a dig at Herod. I'm not positive, but it sounds like one to me. Have you ever seen Herod portrayed? He is a wily rascal and super lascivious and dressed all up. And it's all about his comfort and his palaces and his own way and his people.

He's supposed to be the king of the Jews. His people are oppressed and he's not living like them. He is flourishing and building and carrying on and on and on. Maybe it's not a dig. That sounds bad to say Jesus took a dig at somebody, but he definitely was elevating John and might have been putting Herod in his place, maybe.

That might be my opinion. But what did you go out to see? So the answer to that one is an obvious no too. What did you go out to see? A prophet.

Question mark. Was it a prophet? Is that what you went out to see? Well, tell you, yes, he is. And one who is more than a prophet.

Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one. John the Baptist is the one about whom it is written, behold, I'm sending my messenger ahead of you, that's Malachi three one, who will prepare your way before you. Amen. Jesus changed the me to you right there.

He's he knows who it is. It's him. Behold, I'm sending my messenger and he will clear away before me. And the Lord whom you're seeking will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant whom you delight. Behold, he is coming.

That's Messiah at the end, but at the beginning, that's John the Baptist and Jesus identifies him as such. I say to you among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone that's greater than John the Baptist. He's the best. He's the best that this side has to offer. I say to you, Luke says, among those born of women, there's no one greater than John.

Yet, the one who's least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. He carries a message that you all need to listen to, but the transformation from John announcing the coming one to what will happen when the coming one is here, and he is, Jesus is saying, what happens when you come to me? It immediately elevates you beyond all this world has to offer. The best of this world does not compare with the kingdom of heaven. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently.

Everybody who thinks they're right about religion and the kingdom of heaven has treated it violently and violent men try to take it by force. Violent men take it by force. For all of the prophets and the law prophesied up until John. Jesus says John is the last of the Old Testament prophets. He's in agreement with them.

All of them agree, and all of this is broadcasting it until John. He's the last of those because I'm here. And if you're willing to accept it, folks, this is including the crowds of all of the different folks around, pharisees, lawyers, people, tax collectors, and if you are willing and disciples, don't let me forget the disciples, and if you're willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. No doubt about it. It's unequivocal.

Why people still quibble over this? I don't understand. Jesus says it here. He says it later. Actually, he says it.

Malachi said it before. Behold, I'm sending my messenger. Malachi four. These are the last this is the last chapter in the Old Testament right here. Malachi four five says this, behold, I am going to send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children.

And he will turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction. He is saying, I'm sending you a prophet to make sure you recognize the one who can restore order. And if you're willing to accept it, John himself is the Elijah who was to come. Later on in Matthew, we'll see this. Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

His disciples who were there with him when he said John was Elijah are still asking this question six chapters later. His disciples asked him, why then do the scribes say Elijah must come first? And he answered, Elijah is coming and restore all things. I can see Jesus almost rolling his eyes right there. Come on, fellas.

I've already told you this. But I say to you, Elijah already came and they didn't recognize him, but they did to him whatever they wanted, imprisoned and beheaded. Also the son of man is gonna suffer at their hands. They didn't understand that either. But the disciples did then understand that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

Mark tells us the same story. Luke actually tells us the same story earlier. And if you're willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear. I like that Matthew says this this way, and then Luke has a different way of saying it.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That's a very real invitation for anyone that will humble themselves to accept the word of the Lord. And here we are. Now when all the people and the tax collectors, the rabble, when they heard this, they acknowledged God's justice. Oh my goodness.

Were they living under oppression? Yes. Did they recognize God's justice? It says they acknowledged it. They might not have thought everything was hunky dory, but they acknowledged God's justice.

You know, there's a payday someday, and Lord, help me be a part of the solution and not the problem. I entrust myself to you, kind of like Peter says of Jesus, that though they were reviled, that he though he was reviled, he did not revile. And in turn, though he was insulted, he didn't insult in return, but yet he continually entrusted himself to the one who judges rightly. He acknowledged God's justice. Philippians says, he did not consider equality with God as something to be held on to, having been baptized with the baptism of John.

They had been baptized for repentance from sin. Now, but yeah. There's a big distinction. All of life, the one who hears has ears to hear, let him hear. Now the people acknowledge God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John, recognizing their need for repentance, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.

God's ultimate purpose was to save them and they rejected it. Not having been baptized by John, we reject it out of hand. Now what shall I compare this generation, Jesus says, who's looking for a metaphor. What then shall I compare the the people of this generation and what they're like? It's like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to the other children and say, We played the flute for you, but you didn't dance.

It didn't matter what we were saying or doing, you just paid no attention to us. We sang a song of mourning and you did not mourn. You just didn't listen at all. You went about your business. For John came neither eating nor drinking and they said to him, He has a demon.

John the Baptist has come neither eating or drinking eating bread or drinking wine. And you say to him, He has a demon. The son of man came eating and drinking. And they say, behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker. Friend of tax collectors and sinners, son of man has come eating and drinking.

You say, behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker. Friend of tax collectors and sinners. Are we fault finders? Lord, have mercy on us. Are you a fault finder?

I'll close my eyes right now. Turn around and look this way. I'm a fault finder. It's easy to find fault. And anybody and anything, if you watch any online news or cable or whatever, you'll find people finding fault and ignoring faults.

They find faults on the other side and ignore the faults on their side. John the Baptist was an ascetic. Nope. Jesus was living an abundant life. They say, nope.

Neither one of them fits the bill. And yet, wisdom is vindicated by her deeds, Luke says, and yet wisdom is vindicated by all of her children. You do what you know until you know better. Wisdom will be shown to be following after the path of humility that both John and Jesus tread. Then he began to reprimand the cities.

This is where Matthew takes off, and Luke is not he's kinda silent on this part, but Jesus proclaims woe on these cities. Then he began to reprimand the cities in which most of his miracles were done because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

The people who are the most familiar with Jesus were the ones least likely to repent. Think about that church. That's a hard that's a hard word for us. The people who are most used to Jesus were the ones who are the least likely to repent from their own sins. Nevertheless, I say to you, it'll be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

Next one. And you, Capernaum. This is his hangout. This is basically his new hometown. You, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you?

You'll be brought down to Hades for if the miracles that occurred in you had occurred in Sodom, it would have remained to this very day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it'll be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you. I I bring this up every once in a while. If we keep on expecting people who don't know Jesus to act like they do, That's wrong. We're wrong.

We we can't expect for them. It's hard enough for folks who know him and know him well to really repent from our own sins and live a holy and righteous life by the power of his spirit. We should not expect for people who don't know him, but this is saying folks who don't know him like Sodom and Tyre and Sidon. It'll be more tolerable for them on the day of judgment because they don't know better. We know better.

If we know better, we ought to do better, really. Now he goes from here and keeps on. It seems like he starts off into a prayer, public prayer of praise to God. At that time, Jesus said, I praise you, father, lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent, and you have revealed them to the children, the infants. Yes, father, for this way was well pleasing in your sight.

All the things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, nor does anyone know the father except the son. And anyone with who anyone to whom the son determines to reveal him. We know that Jesus always answers the call of faith. Every person that reached out to Jesus in faith, he answered. When he didn't do miracles or when he didn't help people is when they were saying, do a miracle for us like you did over there.

And they're demanding it, but not from faith. That widow of Nain didn't even ask, but he had compassion on her and gave her back her son. Roman centurion, obvious Gentile, believed and believed even more than anyone else in Israel. Do you see how Matthew especially is opening up this gospel to the whole world, to everybody? We we need to open our hearts up to the everybody.

Now and bring them right here. This is the close. These are the last few slides. It's 28 through 30. It's on one slide.

Come to me, Jesus says. Come to me. Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I'll give you rest. It takes a lot of energy to judge other people. It takes a lot of energy to condemn other people.

It takes a lot of energy to live in the state of manufactured aggression that is foisted on us all the time. If we just calm down and come to Jesus, come to me, all of you who are weary and you're burdened, and I'll give you rest. That's that's what he's saying. I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

So yoke, obviously, you've heard this in church a lot of times. You might have seen an image or two of it. A yoke is something that hooks two oxen together. It seems like you put two oxen of equal size together, they'll pull and plow straight, and it'll be fine. But Jesus is saying, you grab the other side of this yoke that I've already got on.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart. That passage from Philippians that says, Jesus being found as a man did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped. You don't have to be right all the time. Jesus says, I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart.

And you, in this place, if you learn from me, you'll find that being gentle and humble in heart is where you'll find rest for your souls. That's a good word. Jeremiah. This is great. This is really good.

I love Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, forty years of almost fruitless ministry, except he wrote it down so that we can, when we're going through the hard times like John the Baptist, read Jeremiah and go, you know, the word of the Lord that he gave to Jeremiah and he shared and the people rejected, and they threw it in the river and they burned it up and they tied it to a rock and all these different things. When he went back to the Lord and said, Lord, they just don't listen ever, never down in the bottom of a pit wherever he is. And he cries out to the Lord. He says, Jeremiah, write this down.

It's the same message. This is the message. This is what the Lord says. Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths. Look look for where the good way is.

Jesus said, I'm the way. Look for where the good way is and walk in it. Walk right next to him. Put the same yoke on where you're going at the same pace and the same speed as Jesus. He knows the way.

He says, I know the way up and down these rows, and you just stand beside me and walk with me, tied to me, and I'll show you. I'm gentle and I'm humble at heart. I'm not in a hurry. This is what the Lord says, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient past where the good way is and walk in it and you will there find a resting place for your souls. I think Jesus was referencing this, but look at this next verse.

It's so sad. But they said, we will not walk in it. That is human will right there. I am not gonna go the way you want me to go. Come to me all you weary and burdened and I'll give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is comfortable. Did you expect it to say comfortable there? Some of you expected easy because that's the translation. You have this one memorized maybe all the way back to Awana.

For my yoke is comfortable. It is easy. It is kindly. It is pleasant. All those are good things.

How can a yoke be? We think of a yoke and think, oh, work. Good grief. I don't wanna work. I'd rather be in soft clothing in the palace.

My yoke is pleasant. My yoke is comfortable. And then he goes on to say, and my burden is light. Now, immediately for the Christian two thousand years later, we think of the and go, how can you call that a light burden? He's talking about light walking the path.

Jesus had no sin debt of his own. Can you can you fathom that? He had no sin debt of his own. And the way that he walked out his life was in complete humility and submission to the spirit at every moment. And if you're walking like that, it's light.

Even if it's difficult stuff, you know it's a mission given from God. Even if it's hard to see the people around you that don't get it, it's still as much as it depends on me, Lord, let me live at peace with all men. I don't want to be guilty of the aggression. I don't want to be guilty of trying to take the kingdom of God by force or trying to hand it off by force. Jesus says, come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I'll give you rest.

You don't have to be as upset as you are. Calm down. You worry about yourself. Think about what you've done. Bring it to me.

If you confess your sins, I'm faithful and just to be forgiven your sins, cleansing you from all unrighteousness. Wait a second. Cleansing you from all unrighteousness means now we have no sin debt. Jesus has taken that on him at the cross, and I agree that's a heavy burden that he took on. But he's saying if we walk in this life, the yoke will be comfortable and the burden will be light if we can just stick with him.

We're gonna fall off the path to the left or the right, but he's saying, tie yourself to me. Get to know me. I'll show you the way. I am the way. Tie yourself to me.

My yoke is comfortable and my burden is light. There is joy unspeakable and full of glory being hitched to Jesus. Amen. I think that's the last slide. If y'all wanna come up and pray, you're always welcome.

I don't care if you do it during the service. It might be distracting for somebody else, but I'll just be praying for you while I'm talking. If you wanna come up during the song, you're always welcome. If you wanna meet afterwards, I'll be here till the last customer served, and we've got lots of elders and lots of other folks who would love to talk to you. In Jesus name, Lord, would you bless this congregation here this morning to carry forth the gospel while walking that path with you, yoked to you under the comfortable burden, and recognizing that we can walk light in submission to the spirit.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

I don't usually but I I would love to call an audible here. So, Blake, could we go back to God so loved? We sang it once. I'd love to sing it again. Would you stand?

Join me?

One of the things that Jesus frequently discussed with the Pharisees is how they placed a burden on the people. They were constantly placing a burden on the people that they themselves could not carry. Jesus can carry it and did carry it. And what he says to us today, just as much as he was saying that day, is come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn from me for I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart, and you will there find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is comfortable and my burden is light. Amen.