Matthew 21-22

The Wrath Of God

1. Man's Resistance

We have a God of emotions, he will reveal His wrath at His timing.

-Jesus Cleanses The Temple

:And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

:"My house shall be called a house of prayer"

: When Jesus found that the temple is turned into a market for cattle, things used in sacrifices, and occupied by money changers, He drove them out of the place.

-Wither Of the Fig Tree

:"let no fruit grow on you ever again"

: represents the state of the hypocrites. For those who profess religion, they ought to show it.The power of God cannot be undermined, He will eventually judge mankind and punish wickedness. God came to seek fruit, yet find leaves only. Since the timing for pouring out the wrath hasnt come, Jesus made the curse rest on a tree, warning on a tree reflects God's rejection of Israel. The next morning, Peter saw it withered completely from roots upwards and totally dried up-blindness and hardness had grown upon the people.

2. Man's reluctance

His Authority is Questioned even when He has revealed His wrath, and showed His prowess.

:The Pharisees Questioned Jesus

: Jesus spoke parables that give reproof and speak plainly to the offenders. Yet they are non-repentant and sought a life much of themselves than of God.

-Parable of The Wicked Vinedressers

:sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation and is spoken to caution all that enjoys the privilege of the outward church.

: The chief priests and the elders were the builders of the vineyard, yet they will not admit his doctrine and treated him as a despised stone-Christ compared to a stone: examples

-"Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?"

:Lesson learnt: The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin.

3. Man's rejection

He is continually rejected by His people, yet He continued to love them.

The Wedding Feast

:No doubt we need to be prepared for the scrutiny on the day we meet the bridegroom. We need to cultivate that Christian temper of mind, who live by faith in Him and to wear that wedding garment, with the imputed righteousness of Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit.

: We will be taken away of we do not walk worthy of Him.

:Underlying this is the bond of perfection, His love which is the greatest commandemntas He reproves His adversaries and is the sum of all commands of the first table . He wants our hearts to be formed by as a mould.

Let us reflect the times, we have been resistant to Him, doing things against Him, and walking on perverse ways, undermining His wrath. The moments we were reluctant to be humbled before Him, to depend on our own intelligence as we live in this world. Not desiring to suffer for a short while to achieve the long term goal. When we have a corrupted self love, which is the root of greatest sins.When we are short-sighted, and look at what is adequate and comfortable, and what benefits us for the present. The times we chose to justify ourselves with the world, when we would rather not be wronged, and not confront our fellow brothers and sisters when they sin against us and God. When we have forgotten and rejected His love blatently, have we ever been concerned with His HeartBeat?

-Bible Study : 15min preaching for Sunday =)