SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/23/2023 8:07 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
“The Reaction”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
Matt. 21:45-46
Message of the verses: “45 When the chief
priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was
speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people,
because they considered Him to be a prophet.”
In
our study of the gospel of Matthew we are drawing closer and closer to the time
when Jesus will be crucified. Make no
mistake about this, and that is Jesus is in complete control of when and how it
will take place even though as you read through the time when this is about to
happen you may think that the Jews and the Romans are in control, but they will
only be doing exactly what Jesus will want done.
These
Jewish leaders that Jesus is talking to have finally figured out that the
parable Jesus is giving is based on them, and like always that makes them mad,
but as stated Jesus is in control of when He will be put to death, not them.
They
knew this parable was about them, each and every part of it. I think they may have been upset for
answering what would be happening to them because of the answer that they gave
to Jesus about the punishment they now know that they could get.
This
parable would come true, but the truth is that these leaders hardly ever put
any stock in what Jesus had said.
They
wanted to seize Him, but they feared the people, so they did not lay hands on
Him. Later on when the crucifixion was
near these men chose to release Barabbas instead of Jesus.
MacArthur
writes “This amazing passage portrays God’s gracious provision for men, His
patience with their unbelief and rejection, and His love in sending even His
only Son for their redemption. But it
also displays His righteous judgment that will be executed when His divine
patience has run its course.
“The
passage also portrays Jesus’ deity as the Son of God, His obedience to His
Father’s will, His willingness to come to earth and die for man’s redemption,
and His resurrection. But it also
displays His coming one day as the instrument of divine judgment, to destroy
and break in pieces those who have rejected Him.
“And
the passage portrays sinful mankind, its great blessings and privileges from
God, its opportunity to receive truth from His prophets and eternal life from
the Son. It portrays their
responsibility and their accountability before a loving but just God, before
whom they will be either redeemed because of faith or condemned because of
unbelief.”
7/23/2023 8:33 AM
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