Parker Road Bible Church

Jesus addressed the questions of His disciples as they sat on the Mount of Olives. They were put into a state of shock when Jesus told them the beautiful temple they were admiring would be reduced to rubble. He began to share with them the signs of His return. He addressed His disciples with the future in mind. These are the labor pains that lead to His coming. According to our passage, what are six initial signs that lead to Jesus’ second coming?

Jesus confronted the Jewish religious leaders and mourned Jerusalem for rejecting their Messiah. As Jesus was leaving Jerusalem, His disciples were commenting on the beauty of the temple. Jesus told them that the temple would be destroyed. This shocked them because they thought Jesus was establishing the Kingdom and that Jerusalem would be the capital. They had to ask more questions about the end of the age and the Kingdom. Jesus’ reply became what we call the Olivet Discourse. Jesus’ intentions are to meet the disciples where they’re at and answer their questions. What must we keep in mind as we begin to study the Olivet Discourse?

After Jesus boldly and unapologetically confronts the Scribes and the Pharisees, He expresses profound sadness and inevitable judgment on His people. Jesus wanted the religious leaders to repent. He wanted them to avoid the greatest pitfall of all . . . missing the Messiah. He wanted all of Israel to look to Him. However, because of their rejection they would receive the consequences of their unbelief. God would ultimately remove His protective hand from Israel. We learn four crucial truths from Jesus’ pronouncement:

In His last sermon in Matthew, Jesus exposed hypocritical religion and directed people toward authentic faith. Now He confronts the scribes and Pharisees boldly and directly. He warns them of seven judgments that are upon them because of their wickedness. As they are in the thick of plotting to kill Jesus, He lets them know, they cannot fool Him and therefore they cannot fool God. What are the seven characteristics of a wicked leader? What are these pitfalls we should watch out for and avoid?

As we look back in the Gospel of Matthew, we see Jesus excoriate the religious leaders after refuting their attempts to trap Him. He exposes their false teaching and points His followers to the characteristics of authentic spiritual leaders. We see spiritual pitfalls to avoid if we want to steer clear of bad religion. We also see the characteristics of a true follower of Jesus. What are the characteristics of hypocritical religion and in contrast true faith?

Jesus crucifixion was complete. Joseph of Arimathea requested the body of Jesus and laid it in a tomb he owned. The chief priests and the Pharisees wanted to ensure that Jesus’ body stayed in the tomb. They requested a guard of soldiers from Pilate. But the tomb could not hold Jesus! On the third day, He rose again just as He had said. According to Matthew, the chief priests bribed the guards to spread the lie. The lie was that Jesus’ followers stole His body while the guards were sleeping. As we examine this story, what do we learn about the resurrection? Furthermore, what are the implications of the resurrection?

A blood thirsty crowd was silenced as Pontius Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified. On the prior Sunday, a crowd hailed Jesus with great Messianic hope. Not even one week later, a crowd would demand His death. Jesus was humiliated, mocked, stripped, ridiculed, beat and tortured. Not only was He innocent, but in His innocence, He willingly embraced the cross out of love for you and me. In His gospel account, Matthew records Jesus crying out twice. What do Jesus’ words teach us about His intense love and pursuit of us?

On Thursday, April 18, 2019, Justin Kron of Chosen People Ministries presented, "The Passover Experience". Listen as Justin explains all the elements of a traditional Passover celebration and how it all points to the Messiah, Jesus.

The crowd welcomed Jesus with great joy, many recognizing Him as a prophet, some as the Messiah. It is hard to believe just one week later the crowd would be demanding His crucifixion. Jesus overcame His human temptation to avoid the cross, He refused to use His matchless power to avoid His mission. He was paraded through kangaroo courts, while not opening His mouth to defend Himself. Now, the decision was in the hands of Pontius Pilate. What would he do with Jesus? Although it appeared Jesus was on trial, the rest of the world was faced with the same question as Pilate: What shall I do with Jesus? What can we learn from this passage that helps us answer this crucial question?

The High Priest, Caiaphas and the chief priests and elders plotted to kill Jesus. The disciples remained reluctant to accept His words about the crucifixion. One of His twelve had betrayed Him and had already taken blood money to deliver Jesus to them. The time had come for Jesus to be tried and sentenced to death. He could have resisted at any point, yet He yielded to give His life for a ransom for many. What did Christ achieve for us as He was unjustly tried, accused and convicted?

With Holy Week and Easter around the corner, we are looking at events leading to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus faces four attitudes as Matthew 26 begins. The religious leaders had attitudes of pure hostility, the woman in this passage had an attitude of adoration, the apostles had an attitude of apathy and Judas had an attitude of bitterness and betrayal. As we begin to reflect on Jesus' road to the cross, what attitude are you harboring?

Jesus is approached once again by Pharisees who want to trap Him. One of their most intelligent asks, "What is the greatest commandment?" Jesus answers correctly and in doing so, defines what each one of us should see as our priorities. He does not stop there. He approaches them with a question in return and confirms His identity. In our passage today, we answer the questions...What are our priorities as followers of Christ and what must we recognize about Jesus?

The dreaded Tax Day is just around the corner. Do you take the condition of your taxes more seriously than the condition of your soul? The Pharisees were out to get Jesus. They wanted him out of their lives so much that they were willing to join forces with their enemies, the Herodians, to trap Him. They were hoping Jesus would either command followers to reject paying Roman taxes leading to His arrest for insurrection, or command them to pay taxes in a way that would lead the people to turn against Him as a Roman sympathizer. Instead, Jesus established true Authority which should have led any person concerned with honoring God to audit their soul. How should we respond to God’s authority as it pertains to the authority of the government and more importantly the condition of our souls?

Jesus tells two parables that confront the religious establishment of His day. One story is about a vineyard and the second is about a wedding feast. The first speaks about the religious leaders’ rejection of Him that will lead to their judgment and replacement. The second speaks about the consequences of rejecting the invitation of God. In what ways do people reject Jesus and His grace and what effect does this rejection have?

Jesus cleansed the temple of corruption. He cursed a fig tree and it withered immediately. The tree looked great from afar, but it had no fruit, so Jesus caused it to die. Jesus was sending a message. The religious leaders of Israel went to great lengths to look good, but their actions denied the fact that God had any place in their hearts. Jesus said real faith in Him can accomplish mighty things. Now Jesus is teaching in the freshly cleansed temple courts. The emboldened religious leaders think He has no right to do what He is doing, and approach Him to trap Him. His response exposes their sinfulness, and the truth that the worst of worst can receive grace, forgiveness, and new life when they trust in Him. What do we learn about Christ’s authority form this passage?

"Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, look upon this little child." We often paint Jesus this way. Loving and kind. Jesus would never offend me or disagree with me. As we're all aware, if you disagree with someone you don't love them. (This is the commonly held yet completely false view that many people today hold.) Was Wesley right in saying Jesus was humble and loved the weak and the children? Absolutely. That view is not incorrect, it's just incomplete. Jesus got angry. I mean like table turning, coin flipping, yelling, screaming, fire-breathing angry. What I mean by anger is anger: strong, powerful, deliberate, never out of control, but nevertheless, anger. So, if He gets angry, "What is it that makes Jesus angry?"

Jesus is approached twice. First, He is approached by children. His disciples tried to get rid of them, however, Jesus said let them come to me and He blesses them. Then He's approached by a rich young man. His disciples were surprised when the young man went away sad and Jesus said that it is very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. What do we learn about Jesus and the kingdom of God as we see Jesus interact with children, a wealthy young man and His disciples?

God is pro-marriage. When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by twisting the words of Moses, Jesus does not contradict Moses, but instead quoted him. Jesus declares what God has joined let no man separate. In doing so, Jesus reveals God's heart for marriage. In greater extent, Jesus reveals God's heart for us. What does Jesus teach us about marriage, divorce and singleness?

Jesus in His very nature is a rescuer. He left the glory of heaven to come down to earth to seek and save the lost. He is the shepherd who not only risked His own life but gave it to rescue lost sheep. If we want to know how to restore a relationship and have a healthy Gospel-centered church, we need to look to Jesus and listen to His instructions on dealing with sin. What steps does Jesus give us to confront another follower of Christ who has offended us or is trapped in destructive sin?

Jesus' followers asked Him, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" They were looking for status and recognition. Undoubtedly, His answer would have surprised them. He placed a child before them to illustrate the change in thinking they needed in their lives. They needed to abandon self-centeredness, self-glorification and self-gratification. Instead, they needed to embrace dependence on God, selflessness and service. How does Jesus define people who are great in the kingdom?