Who Is This Jesus -- God Dwelling With Us (Matt 21-22)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Even the most holy of objects can become an idol. In Matthew 21-24, the judgement of Jesus reaches a climax in one of the most scathing passages against the temple and its leadership. But, you’ll miss it if you don’t take the time to explore the old testament passages imported into this narrative.

The Donkey Speaks

The passage opens up with Jesus asking his disciples to bring him a donkey, to fulfill the passage in Zechariah, “Behold your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9) Read on its own, this might seem like not much more than another proof text. What was really going on was that Jesus was making a prophetic statement.

Who Is This Jesus -- The Servant (Matt 17-20)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

In the last post, I left off two important points that help set the stage for the following chapters. My focus there was on what was revealed about Messiah. But, there was still an aspect of Jesus’ identity that remained concealed to the disciples. Even as Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the son of the Living God, in the very next verses it becomes clear that he didn’t fully grasp what that meant. He was still expecting a conquering king. But, Jesus declared that this battle would be won through humility. What’s more, he expected his followers to do the same. “Take up your cross and follow me.”

The following chapters expound upon this point showing how the disciples brush up against it again and again. Several stories will help illustrate this point.

Who is this Jesus? -- Water Walking (Matt 14-16)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As we turn toward the second half of the book (many commentators consider chapter 13 the pivot point of Matthew), our passage opens up once again with a note about John–this time about his death. This marks a turning point in the story. Up until now, Jesus had been preaching kingdom, kingdom, kingdom. His focus had been centered squarely on the people of Israel. But here we will notice several key shifts.

Who is this Jesus? -- Parables of the Kingdom (Matt 13)

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As the tension in the narrative begins to ramp up between those who choose to follow Jesus and those who oppose Him, Matthew turns our attention to a set of parables that Jesus told His disciples. These parables serve both to explain the varying responses to Jesus' ministry and to reveal a few characteristics of the Kingdom.

Parable of the Sower

For me this first parable is something of a map, giving a heads up concerning the obstacles ahead in the life of a disciple. Rather than seeing four distinct categories here, I see four stages of growth.