In Isaiah 5 the Old Testament prophet sings a song of a vineyard which is figuratively “the house of Israel” (see verse 7). In Matthew 21, Jesus picks up Isaiah’s song and tells a parable which is a miniature account of this world and especially the Jews who have been unwilling to give God that which is due Him – adoration, honour,…
In Matthew 21 we find Jesus in Jerusalem heading into the final week before the cross. Jesus pushes hard the fact that He is the Promised One, the Son of David and He who is worthy to be praised. Here the Divine King come to the Royal City and the Lord comes to Jehovah’s Temple. Then in verses 18-32, Matthew records three…
Jesus could have had every reason to be distracted and self absorbed. The agony of the cross was likely less than 2 weeks away. But just as Jesus had just taught His disciples “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (v. 28) so He now gives the personal example of serving even when He might have…
Pastor Jim continues his sermon series from the Gospel of Matthew by examining three brief scenes in which true greatness is shown to be obtained through servanthood. As Jesus forewarns His disciples about His crucifixion that would soon take place in Jerusalem the mother of James and John comes to Jesus to seek the chief places of honour for her sons in…
Pastor Jim concludes a six part summertime sermon series on appearances of God in both the Old and New Testaments. Previous sermons in this series included Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-20), Elijah at Mt. Sinai’s cave (I Kings 19:1-18), Isaiah at the time of King Uzziah’s death (Isaiah 6), Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19) and John on…
It’s one of the greatest accounts in all of the Old Testament. It involves jealousy, intrigue, desperate attempts at rescue, certain death but also miraculous escape. Included among the key figures are King Darius, the mightiest man in the superpower of the Medes and Persians and the king of the jungle – hungry and powerful lions eager for their next meal. But…
Their necks were on the line. Heads were going to roll if King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t get a satisfactory answer. But the request seemed absolutely beyond all reason. How is it possible to know what another man has dreamed if the dreamer doesn’t tell the dream. The “wise men” were right to be alarmed. But Daniel and his three companions prayed and received…
Psalm 137 is a lament of the captive Jews who have been carried away to exile in Babylon. When asked to sing a song of home the exiled ask “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” The answer comes to us in the life of Daniel. Here was a man of unimpeachable character who honoured the one true…