Matthew 21-23 Sermon notes

Introduction to Matthew “Ouch!” Most of us know to flip to the four if we want to study the life and ministry of but it is important to realise that each of the accounts have distinctive perspectives of our Savior. For in- stance, the emphasizes Jesus as the suffering Son of God, the Gospel of Luke emphasizes Jesus as the savior for all people and the Gospel of John emphasizes Jesus as the eternal Son of God.

In Matthew’s account, it is clear that it is the most Jewish of all the Gos- pels. Matthew writes his Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus is the long awaited Jewish Messiah.

Date and Authorship The was probably written in the late 50s or early 60s A.D. While never explicitly stated in the Gospel account itself, the early church tradition unanimously credits the authorship of the first Gospel account to Matthew (also called Levi), the former tax collector who became Jesus’ disciple.

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“The Son of God” Historical Context and Purpose :34-46 Matthew’s Gospel became the most influential Gospel in the early church but originally it was intended to strengthen and encourage the church at Antioch in Syria. The church in Antioch had a significant group of Christians but also had a large group of Jewish Christians who appeared to maintain a connection with the local synagogue and non-Christian Jews.

It appears that due to their close relationship with the non-Christian Jews and the fact that Antioch was a strong Pagan city, the church was coming under fire from every angle. Matthew’s Gospel served as an encouragement to the Jewish and pagan Christians to stand firm because Jesus is the long awaited Jewish Messiah, that he has the right to the throne of David as Israel’s true King, and that he is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all the world.

Key Themes • The Messiah Declares His Authority in

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“Taxes & Death” Sermon Series Outline Matthew 22:15-33

Matthew 21:12-22 “Temple & the Tree” Matthew 21:23-32 “By What Authority?” Matthew 21:33-46 “Rebellion in the vineyard” Matthew 22:1-14 “A Wedding Invitation” Matthew 22:15-33 “Taxes & Death” Matthew 22:34-46 “The Son of God” Matthew 23 “Ouch!”

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“A Wedding Invitation” “Temple & the Tree” Matthew 22:1-14 Matthew 21:12-22

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“By What Authority?” “Rebellion in the vineyard” Matthew 21:23-32 Matthew 21:33-46

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