SERMON OUTLINE:
Jesus Declared as King:
• Matthew chapter 2 verse 2:
• "Where is he born to be KING of the Jews".
• Matthew chapter 4 verse 23:
• "Jesus went throughout Galilee...preaching the good news of the KINGDOM,
• Matthew chapter 21 verse 5:
• "Your KING is coming to you riding on a donkey".
• Matthew chapter 27 verse 11:
• "the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," replied Jesus".
• Matthew chapter 27 verse 37:
• "This is Jesus, the KING of the Jews".
Jesus Demonstrates his Kingship:
• It is the only miracle recorded solely by Matthew
• It is the only miracle Jesus performed to meet His own needs
• It is the only miracle Jesus performed using money
• It is the only miracle Jesus performed using one fish
• It is the only miracle which does not have the results recorded
SERMON BODY
Ill:
• Video clip – You tube – ‘Stop and hear the music’:
• http://youtu.be/hnOPu0_YWhw
• On January 12, 2007 at 7:51am in the morning;
• An experiment began … sponsored by the Washington Post newspaper.
• A young musician takes his position against a wall in the metro station;
• Of the Washington DC., subway.
• He is wearing jeans; a long-sleeved shirt, and a Washington National’s baseball cap.
• He opens his violin case … removes the instrument;
• He throws a few dollars into the case from his pocket as “seed money” … and begins playing.
• He plays for the next 43 minutes … and during that time
• He performs six classical pieces – flawlessly !!
• During that 43 minutes;
• 1,097 people passed by, tossing in a total of $32.17 into his violin case.
• Of that 1,097 people;
• Only seven paused longer than sixty seconds to listen to this performance;
• Of those seven who lingered … only one recognized the violinist!
• The name of the violinist was Joshua Bell:
• Three days prior – he had filled Boston’s Symphony Hall;
• Where just “adequate” tickets sold for $100 apiece.
• And two weeks later,
• He would play for a standing-room-only audience in Bethesda, Maryland.
• Joshua Bell’s talents & artistry commands an average of $1,000 per minute;
• When performing this day in the subway;
• He barely earned enough to pay for a pair of cheap shoes.
• Now – you can’t fault the instrument;
• He was playing a Stradivarius worth 3.5 million dollars!
• You can’t fault the performance …
• He flawlessly played some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s best work!
• Yet … scarcely anyone noticed the presence of such artistry in this context:
• Flanked by a kiosk on one side and a shoe-shine stand on the other
• Most of those passer-by’s cynically wrote off this entertainer;
• As some typical, needy, dime-a-dozen musician,
• Who needed a few more cents to support his habit …or… to pay for a place to sleep.
• Little did they know that among them was a genius;
• And if they gave him some time he would greatly enrich their lives!
• TRANSITION:
• If you had lived 2,000 years ago, and if you encountered Jesus and the disciples,
• There would have been nothing to mark him out as being different,
• From the other twelve men.
• No halo on his head,
• No glow of light shining above or around him,
• He would have looked exactly the same,
• As any other Jewish man from that region of Galilee.
ill:
• If he was part of an identity parade to spot the Son of God,
• We would all probably fail to pick him out.
• Even his cousin John the Baptist (John chapter 1 verses 33-34)
• Failed to recognise him without God sending “the Spirit like a dove to land on him”.
• There was nothing that would have marked Jesus out as being different;
• And nothing to mark him out as being a King:
• But that is of course who he was and is!
Jesus Declared the King:
• Matthew in his gospel portrays Jesus a king;
• A quick scan through his gospel portrays that.
(a). Matthew chapter 2 verse 2:
• The Magi / wise men come looking for a baby,
• They ask the question "Where is he born to be KING of the Jews".
• Herod was king because he purchased the position off the Romans;
• But this baby will be born king – it is his kingdom by rights!
(b). Matthew chapter 4 verse 23:
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the KINGDOM, and healing every
disease and sickness among the people."
• Jesus speaks again and again about; "The Kingdom of heaven".
• If you have a kingdom; then you need a king!
(c). Matthew chapter 21 verse 5:
• The triumphant entry, he records the prophecy,
• "Your KING is coming to you riding on a donkey".
• We tend to think of a donkey as a lowly animal;
• But to the Jew it was a beast fit for a king:
• e.g. Israel’s greatest King, David rode on one (1 Kings chapter 1 verses 33-34).
• In war, kings would ride horses, but in peace, they entered the city riding donkeys.
(E). Matthew chapter 27 verse 11:
"Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," replied Jesus".
(F). Matthew chapter 27 verse 37:
• On the cross a sign was nailed,
• "This is Jesus, the KING of the Jews".
NOW IN THE VERSES BEFORE US THIS MORNING,
• We have a great paradox:
• A King so poverty-stricken,
• That he has no money to pay the annual temple tax of only a half-shekel!
Jesus Demonstrates his Kingship:
• This miracle of a coin in the mouth of the fish validates Jesus claim to be king.
• The miracle is unique for a number of reasons:
(1). It is the only miracle recorded solely by Matthew.
• Remember Matthew was a former tax collector,
• So he had a natural link with the events of this miracle.
• Matthew’s gospel is also called the Gospel of the King,
• And this miracle will affirm the kingship of Jesus Christ.
Jesus would exercise His kingship over nature to provide what was needed:
• Peter was not able to command the fish and find the money.
• But king Jesus was!
Ill:
• Jesus Christ exercised dominion over not only the fish,
• But also over the animals (Matthew chapter 21 verses 1-7)
• And the birds (Matthew chapter 26 verse 34, verses 74-75).
• The wind, rain and sea obeyed him (Matthew chapter 14 verses 22-36).
• There was only one part of creation that failed to recognise and obey him:
• Mankind (John chapter 1 verse 10):
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him”.
(2). It is the only miracle Jesus performed to meet His own needs.
24After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
25“Yes, he does,” he replied.
Jesus always used his miraculous power for the good of others:
• i.e. To feed a hungry crowd (he provided food).
• i.e. To heal the broken hearted sisters Mary & Martha (he raised Lazarus back to life).
• His miracles were always for the good of other people.
• He never used his power selfishly, or in the wrong way!
Ill:
• Matthew chapter 4 verse 34:
• During the three temptation episode in the desert
• Satan had tempted Christ to use His divine powers for Himself,
• i.e. You are hungry so, “turn these stones to bread”
• But He had refused!
Note:
• In this case, Jesus did not use His power selfishly,
• In this story others was also affected by this miracle.
• Verse 27: “But so that we may not offend them”
• Was the Lord’s explanation for the miracle.
• The word “Offended” means “a stumbling block”,
• Jesus did not want to cause other people to trip up and fall.
• Therefore Jesus paid the tax not out of obligation,
• But as a good example to other people.
Remember the tax in question was for the Temple:
• Which was the house of God.
• Jesus was the Son of God and therefore exempt from paying.
Ill:
• In the ancient world,
• Earthly kings did not tax their own sons.
• That was part of the privilege of being in the royal family.
• The taxes kept the royals in the lifestyle they were accustomed too.
• That is why Jesus asks Peter the specific question in verses 25-26:
• He knew that peter and all Jews (including the religious leaders);
• Would know the answer.
“When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. ‘What do you think, Simon?’ he asked. ‘From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes – from their own children or from others?’
26 ‘From others,’ Peter answered.”
‘Then the children are exempt,’ Jesus said to him.”
• In these verses:
• Jesus affirms the fact, that he was the Son of a King,
• i.e. The Son of God.
• And therefore he was free from paying this tribute.
Notice:
• These verses also illustrate to us again the poverty of King Jesus.
• Humanly speaking;
• Jesus was too poor to pay even a half-shekel; he had no money!
• And having left their various business to follow Jesus,
• The twelve disciples were as poor as He was.
WE KNOW THAT JESUS LIVED A LIFE OF POVERTY:
• i.e. Luke chapter 9 verse 38:
“Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.””
• i.e. Luke chapter 20 verse 24
• He had to borrow a coin for an illustration.
“"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" "Caesar's," they replied.”
• i.e. Again in this passage,
• Jesus did not have the financial wealth to pay the tax.
• And as a result we have this unique story and miracle.
• The Son was under no obligation to pay the tax;
• Because it was a tax for his Father’s house?
• But for practical reasons, He paid it.
Note:
• When Jesus paid the Temple tax,
• He paid into the treasury of the very establishment that would betray him to death!
• Ironic that from this fund,
• Judas the betrayer would receive thirty pieces of silver!
(3). It is the only miracle Jesus performed using money.
• Quote: Benjamin Franklin:
• “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes”.
Now the tax referred to in this story:
• Had its origin in the days of Moses,
• (Exodus chapter 30 verse 11-16).
• Exodus chapter 38 verses 25-27 tell us that the original tax money was used;
• To make the silver sockets on which the tabernacle poles were erected.
• Subsequent taxes were used to support the ministry of the tabernacle,
• And then the temple.
Ill:
• The Temple at Jerusalem was a costly place to run:
• There were the morning and evening sacrifices,
• Along with the lambs, wine, flour and oil were offered.
• The incense which was burned every day,
• Had to be bought and prepared.
• The costly hangings and the robes of the priests which constantly wore out;
• Servants and temple employees had to be paid.
• And like any building the temple needed regular maintenance doing to it,
• All this required money and a temple tax met the need.
So on the basis of Exodus chapter 30 verse 13:
• Every male over twenty years of age must pay an annual temple tax.
• This tax was equivalent to two days wages.
• Rabbis were exempt from paying the tax,
• But Jesus was not an official Rabbi,
• That’s way they question Peter in verse 24.
• And want some money from Jesus.
• Note: The reason for the tax is worth noting:
• The money was to be a reminder to the Jews;
• That they had been redeemed from Egyptian slavery.
(d). It is the only miracle Jesus performed using one fish.
• In Luke chapter 5 verses 1-11:
• Jesus had multiplied the fish for Peter’s incredible catch,
• And He would repeat that type of miracle for peter and the other disciples;
• In John chapter 21 verses 11-13.
Now although in this incident, Jesus used only one fish:
• This miracle is far more complex than the so called bigger catch miracles.
• Consider the complexity of this miracle:
• First, someone had to lose a coin in the water.
• Second, a fish had to take that coin in its mouth and retain it.
• Third, that same fish then had to bite on Peter’s hook;
• Remember it had an impediment in its mouth,
• Fourth, it had to be caught.
• You cannot explain all of this in a natural way.
• It is too complex for an accident,
• And too difficult for human management.
Note:
• This was one of many miracles that Jesus performed for Peter.
• He healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark chapter 1 verses 29-34),
• He helped Peter to catch fish (Luke chapter 5:1-11),
• He enabled him to walk on the water (Matthew chapter 14 verses 22-33),
• He healed Malchus’ ear (Mathew chapter 26 verses 47-56),
• And delivered Peter from prison (Acts chapter 12 verses 1-19).
Notice (verse 21):
• “When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak”.
• Jesus knew Peter’s need before he even said a word,
• And he also knew how he would meet that need.
• So before Peter could tell Jesus what to do,
• Jesus told him what to do!
• God the Father had interrupted Peter on the mountain (chapter 17 verse 5),
• And now God the Son interrupted him in the house.
• Peter was learning that if we wait to get our directions from the Lord,
• We would see Him meet our needs for His glory.
(5). It is the only miracle which does not have the results recorded.
• Look at verse 28!
• Gotcha! There is no verse 28!
• We would expect another verse that would read:
“And Peter went to the sea, cast in a hook, and drew up a fish; and when he had opened its mouth, he found there a coin, and used it to pay the temple tax for himself and for Jesus.”
• But verse 28 is not there:
• Question: How do we know that the miracle took place?
• Answer: Because Jesus said it would!
Quote Warren Wiersbe:
“We must commend Peter for his faith.
The people at the seashore were accustomed to seeing Peter with a net in his hand,
not a hook and line.”
That day Jesus not only put a coin in the mouth of the fish:
• He also placed something in Peter’s heart.
• A coin, with the stamp of sovereignty on it.
• Jesus never sends us on errands that are unfruitful!
• Peter had faith in God’s Word, and God honoured that faith.
• Peter did a normal thing,
• That produced an abnormal result.
• That day by way of a coin and a fish,
• Jesus paid Peter’s earthly debt,
• Soon by hanging on a cross he would pay his spiritual debt!
• A debt paid not with silver or gold but with his precious blood!
Ill:
• The date was February 16, 1989.
• The place was Oshawa, Ontario, Canada,
• The event changed forever the lives of George and Vera Bajenksi.
• The day started as a very normal Thursday morning.
• The phone rang at 9:15 a.m.
• And contained news no parent wants to hear :
• "There’s been an accident..." and it involved their son Ben.
• They jumped into their car and ruched down to the high school.
• As they arrived they could see the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles.
• Vera noticed a photographer and followed the direction of his camera lens;
• It led her eyes to the largest pool of blood she had ever seen.
• She knew right away that their son Ben was dead;
• She turned to her husband George and said;
• “Ben went home to be with his Heavenly Father!"
She then wanted to jump out of the car:
• Somehow collect the blood and put it back into her son.
• But she knew she could not do it!
• Vera later remarked:
"That blood, for me, at that moment, became the most precious thing in the world;
Because it was life. It was life-giving blood and it belonged in my son, my only son, the one I loved so much."
• The road was dirty and the blood just didn’t belong there.
• George noticed that cars were driving right through the junction;
• And right through the blood.
• His heart was broken.
• He wanted to cover the blood with his coat and cry,
• "You will not drive over the blood of my son!"
Then Vera understood for the first time in her life,
• One of God’s greatest and most beautiful truths...why blood?
• Because it was the strongest language God could have used.
• It was the most precious thing He could give-- the highest price He could pay.
• Through God’s amazing sacrificial love;
• You and I can be redeemed with the precious royal blood of King Jesus!
• May we never treat lightly nor trample underfoot the blood of God’s Son;
• Quote: Charles Wesley.
• "Amazing love! How can it be? That though, My God, shouldst die for me!"
• TRANSITION: The Bible makes it so very clear;
• That you and I can also be saved by the precious blood of king Jesus.
• If God has spoken to you this morning and you are ready to follow;
• Then a simple of act of faith in the living Son of God,
• Can transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light!
We need to:
• ‘A’ - admit:
• We too are inwardly corrupt, and upwardly rebellious.
• The Bible calls that sin.
• ‘B’ – believe.
• We take God at his word that Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins!
• That apart from Christ there is no other way to be saved.
• ‘C’ – confess
• The Bible says we are to believe in our hearts but confess him with our lips.
• (Romans chapter 10 verse 9)
• ‘D’ – do
• If you have never called upon the name of the Lord;
• Then do it now!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=4GpWNVVdoLDmqBZwPaDTy6FWbeSeNb39
