Sermon #61
Series: Matthew
Title: Two Questions and A Parable
Text: Matthew
21:23-32
Reading: Lindsay
Campbell – Rex Bartley
Subject: Christ
Confounds The Scribes and Pharisees
Date: Tuesday
Evening – October 31, 1995
Tape # R-90
Introduction:
The passage we have before us begins the last three days
of our Lord’s earthly ministry prior to his arrest in Gethsemane. It is simply astonishing to consider how
much work our Savior pressed into these last three days. All that is recorded from Matthew 21-23 through
chapter 25. All that is recorded by Mark in chapters 20, 21, and
22, and all that we read in John’s
gospel from chapters 12 through 18 was done in these last three days
before his arrest. His meet and drink
was to do his Father’s will. What an example he has given us. May God give us grace to follow it as men
and women who know that “the time is short.”
The verses of our text contain Two Questions and a Parable. In these verses we see
the priests and elders of the people, the religious leaders of the day, attempting to discredit the
ministry of the Son of God. These bitter enemies of righteousness, these bitter
envious, insecure religious men swarmed around the Son of God, like a nest of bees,
trying to find some weakness in him. The question by which he silenced their quibbles, and the parable by
which the Son of God forced these men to condemn themselves are here recorded
for our comfort, learning, and admonition by divine inspiration. May
God the Holy Spirit, who inspired Matthew to write
these words, now inscribes their lessons upon our hearts.
Proposition: The
Son of God knows how to confound his enemies and shall do so.
I. First, I want you to see that the question
raised by our Lord’s adversaries demonstrates the fact that – Satan’s Strategy Never Changes. (v.
23).
From the beginning of time, satan’s most constant weapon
against Christ and his people has been slander. Eve
was seduced by the serpent’s slander of God’s character. Once the Lord
God was discredited in her eyes, she was snared. Whenever it is impossible to disprove the work of God or deny the truth
of God, satan’s weapon of choice is to discredit the messenger of God by
slander.
These
hell-inspired religionists could
not refute our Lord’s doctrine. They
could not deny his power – (The
fig tree withered before them!) – And they could not find any fault with
his life or the lives of his disciples. So the only way to defend themselves,
the only way they could justify their opposition to the Son of God, was to
discredit him by casting some slander upon him.
A. Often
they slandered the Savior by his association with sinners; but here they
attempted to discredit his authority.
They
ignored the good he did Healing the Sick – Cleansing The
Temple – Raising the Dead – Teaching the People – Cursing The Fig Tree) and
quibbled about his authority to do what he did.
“Too many care nothing for the manifest blessings of God
upon a man’s work, so long as he is not sent forth by their own sect or party.”
– (J.C. Ryle).
1. These
religious leaders had all the right credentials – But they knew nothing of the
power of God.
2. Our
Lord had no earthly credentials - But his words manifested the very omnipotence
of God.
NOTE: This is shocking
news to some – But credentials mean nothing in the church and kingdom of God.
B. Any
man who is being used of God can expect to be the object of hellish slander.
Wolves
never attack a panted sheep, only a living one. Even so, artificial preachers
are not spited and persecuted, but faithful ones.
The
pope offered to make Luther a cardinal, if he would just keep
quiet. Luther refused. Then
men called him a proud fool. He
said, “Let me be counted fool or anything, but I will not
be guilty of cowardly silence.” When the papists could not canted him, they
said, “Luther is
an apostate.” Luther
replied, “I am an apostate, but a blessed and holy apostate,
one that has fallen off from the devil!” When men said, “Martin Luther is a
devil,” he replied, “So be it. Luther is a devil; but Christ liveth and
reigneth. That is enough for Luther.”
NOTE: The
most common areas of slander, by which God’s servants are attacked today are
the very same areas of slander that were hurled against The Son of God – Religious Authority – (Where
did you go to school? – What degree do you have? – Who ordained you? Antinonianism – No
man ever preached the gospel who was not accused of antinomianism! – Suggestions of Wickedness. “Eateth with publicans
and sinner.” “Gluten and Winebibber.”
NOTE: Nothing in this world is more base, more vile, more
hellish and demonic than gossip and slander!
II. Secondly, our Savior’s question, by which he
confounded the religious quibblers, clearly teaches us that Believer’s Baptism Is A Divine Ordinance – (vv.
24-27).
If
they had been honest men, the question which our Lord put before these men
would have been very simple to answer. But they were not honest men. Though
they pretended to serve God, they were men-pleasers And men-pleasers are like politicians
– They never commit themselves to anything until they know which way the wind
is blowing and what the costs will be.
Obviously, our Lord could easily have answered their
question. He had already told them many times who he was and by what authority
he acted. But now
he seems to contemptuously shake off the dust of his feet against them. He
showed his contempt for them publicly because they were public men.
A. Several
things should be learned from our Lord’s behavior here.
1. We
must always be
ready to give answer to anyone who desires to know the
reason of our hope (I Pet. 3:15).
2. We
ought never shrink from
any inquiry from people seeking to understand our doctrine or practices. Do not teach what you cannot defend!
3. But
we have no obligation to
answer the caviling quibbles of those who oppose the gospel.
B. However,
our Lord’s primary instruction in this question was for the benefit of his
disciples.
The ministry of John the Baptist, particularly his
practice of immersing those who professed repentance toward God, was a matter of great controversy in
those days, just as believer’s baptism is a matter of great controversy today –
Here, our Lord Jesus
teaches us that John’s baptism was of heavenly origin.
“By
‘The baptism of John’ is meant the ordinance of water-baptism, which was first
administered by him.”” (John Gill) No one had ever done anything like this
before. Believer’s baptism began to be practiced by divine ordinance with the
ministry of John the Baptist.
Many
today talk about baptism as a matter of choice, or of
indifference. But neither is true. Believer’s baptism is a divine ordinance. As
such, it is essential in the worship of God.
1. Baptism
is for believers only – (Acts
8:37-38). – “Bring forth fruit meet for repentance.”
2. Baptism
is by immersion only – A
Burial (Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12).
Illus: Matt. 3:15-17
3. Baptism
is a Symbolic Picture of
the Gospel – (Rom. 6:46).
III. Thirdly, in the parable about the two sons,
our Savior teaches us that The
Lord Our God Graciously Saves Every Penitent Sinner, Even The Most Base and
Vile – (vv. 28-32).
This parable is very brief, but very instructive. All who
are wise will learn what it teaches.
A. All
men belong to God.
God
is not the Father of all men in a gracious, covenant way. But he is the Father
of all and the Owner of all as The Creator of all.
B. All
men are commanded to repent when the gospel is preached.
C. Repentance,
Obedience, and Faith are all Synonymous Terms.
Repentance
is neither more nor less than faith in Christ. And faith in Christ is neither
more not less than obedience to him as Lord – (“Work” – v. 28; “repented” v. 29
– “believed” v. 32).
D. The
Lord our God is infinitely willing and able to save every sinner who bows to
his dear Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, in true repentance and faith.
1. It matters not how bad you
have been – If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved.
2. It matters not how good
you appear to be – If you do not trust the Son of God, you must perish forever
– God is no respecter of persons!
NOTE: No man or woman is so sinful that God will not save
them. But many are so righteous in their own eyes that they cannot be saved.
NOTE: In
the day of judgment, I would rather stand before God as a publican, or a
harlot, or anything, rather than stand before him as a self-righteous hypocrite
– Beware of
self-righteousness!
Application:
1. When
you are slandered let
it have no effect upon you, except to drive you into your Father’s arms.
2. If
you would be saved, you
must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
3. If
God has saved you, if he has given you faith in Christ, confess him in Believer’s
Baptism.