The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

"Bill Wilson pastors an inner city church in New York City. His mission field is a very violent place. He himself has been stabbed twice as he ministered to the people of the community surrounding the church. Once a Puerto Rican woman became involved in the church and was led to Christ. After her conversion she came to Pastor Wilson and said, "I want to do something to help with the church’s ministry." He asked her what her talents were and she could think of nothing---she couldn’t even speak English---but she did love children. So he put her on one of the church’s buses that went into neighborhoods and transported kids to church. Every week she performed her duties. She would find the worst-looking kid on the bus, put him on her lap and whisper over and over the only words she had learned in English: "I love you. Jesus loves you."

After several months, she became attached to one little boy in particular. The boy didn’t speak. He came to Sunday School every week with his sister and sat on the woman’s lap, but he never made a sound. Each week she would tell him all the way to Sunday School and all the way home, "I love you and Jesus loves you."

One day, to her amazement, the little boy turned around and stammered, "I---I---I love you too!" Then he put his arms around her and gave her a big hug. That was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon. At 6:30 that night he was found dead. His own mother had beaten him to death and thrown his body in the trash......."I love you and Jesus loves you." ....Those were some of the last words this little boy heard in his short life---from the lips of a Puerto Rican woman who could barely speak English. This woman gave her one talent to God and because of that a little boy who never heard the word "love" in his own home, experienced and responded to the love of Christ.....

What can you give? What is your "colt". You and I each have something in our lives, which, if given back to God, could, like the colt, move Jesus and His message further down the road.
-Mark Adams, "The Roads He Walked - Palm Avenue." Illustrations for April 13, 2003. www.esermons.com.

In this series we’ve been examining key moments in the life of Jesus. We’ve looked at the raising of Lazarus, the sermon on the mount, the transfiguration, and the last supper. Today we consider the great moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

Jesus carefully managed the rise of his fame and the excitement around his ministry. He knew if he allowed things to spread too quickly things would spiral out of control. He was careful to perform a miracle secretly, then instruct the person not to tell anyone. He would preach to crowds of thousands, then disappear again for days into the wilderness. He had carefully avoided the capital of Jerusalem until the exact right moment.

News of what Jesus had been doing had spread though, across the entire nation. The messiah had came. The savior had arrived. Many believed Jesus was the one, others doubted and argued against him vigorously.

Jesus and his group of followers were headed toward Jerusalem at last, near the end of Jesus’ three year ministry.

It says this in Matthew 21:1-3: As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Jesus instructs his disciples to ahead of them, and find a donkey. The disciples are probably thinking to themselves, you want us to go and take someone’s donkey? But, he’s the master, so they of course obey Him.

Similarly, we should obey Jesus even when we don’t fully understand why. Jesus may challenge us to do something we don’t understand, or to follow Him in a direction you didn’t expect. Trust Him. That isn’t always easy. But we can trust our master. He is the king of the universe. He knows what is best.

God has setup situations that we don’t fully understand. I experienced this recently when we visited a nursing home in Gary. It was like God has setup the entire experience for us. It was amazing. We didn’t know what to expect when we came, but we found a place God had prepared to receive prayer and healing.

Next, verses 4-5: This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Numerous events in Jesus’ life were fulfillments of prophecy. What is prophecy? In biblical terms, a prophecy is something that was predicted in the Bible to happen at some point in the future.

Numerous scriptures in the old Testament were prophecies written about the days when Jesus would walk the Earth. Once Jesus did it, then it was considered a fulfilled prophecy, a prophecy that came true.

Other prophecies in the Bible have not come true yet, like many things in the book of Revelation and Daniel that talk about the end times and the return of Jesus to the Earth. 

This event we discuss today has already happened, it is fulfilled prophecy. It was predicted by the Zechariah, in about 518 BC. It came true in about AD 29-30. Meaning it was predicted by scripture about 550 years before it took place.

Prophecy is one form of evidence that the Bible is really God’s word. The bible accurately predicts future events. When you study the scriptures that predicted the coming of Jesus, they are astonishing. It proves that the Bible is of divine origin.

Next, verses 6-7: “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.”

The disciples did as Jesus instructed them. They didn’t understand why. They didn’t know exactly what place they were looking for. But they had instructions from God and they acted on them.

They served their master. They took off their own cloaks and laid them on the animals for Jesus to sit on.

That is radical humility. Second point today, humility. So often we want details. We want to know why. We want more info. We want an address, a timetable, a name, and so on. And if we don’t get it, we refuse to obey God. We want it our way. But the disciples are so very humble, they are like children, they lay aside what they want, and go and humbly do the will of God. And when they do, it’s not about them, they don’t hop on the donkey. They bring it to their master and even lay their cloaks on it for the master to sit on.

Next, verses 8-9: “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

A very large crowd, I’m sure tens of thousands of people, gathered along the road leading into Jerusalem. Many cut branches from palm trees and others threw their cloaks along the road.

It says in the Old Testament, predicting the triumphal entry, that “The trees will clap their hands.” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, seated on the donkey, they waved palm branches to celebrate. I get chills when I think about the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This was a revolutionary moment in history. It seems so many times in our society the rich and the powerful control everything that happens. They manufacture evil and keep good people from the lime light, they keep the message of purity and truth down in the pits. And in the same way the Pharisees fought Jesus every step of the way, but Israel was bursting at the seams, and finally the revolution had begun, and Jesus Christ was cheered by the whole city as he triumphantly entered, the king of kings, Satan couldn’t shut down the crowd, they had to cry out in joy for the coming of the messiah into the city of God. It makes your heart sing when the outsider finally achieves victory over the entrenched establishment and moneyed elite.

The rise of Jesus could not be stopped. Satan was scheming and plotting to prevent it to, to overthrow it, to get the authorities to work against Jesus. Satan had total authority over the Earth, he still is the prince of this world, but Jesus’ is seen as the coming king and Lord in this key moment in human history.

Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana. Washington DC is the capital of the United States. But Jerusalem is the capital of planet Earth. It’s the place from which Jesus will reign as king over the Earth during the one thousand year millennial reign, which will occur after the great tribulation spoken of in the book of Revelation.

Jesus entered Jerusalem two thousand years ago and the crowds shouted Hosanna. Hosanna is a way of declaring praise or adoration, yet it is primarily a cry for help. Essentially it means, “Save us please!”

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

We see three phrases used here: The first is Hosanna to the Son of David. Please save us, to the Son of David. Everyone in Israel knew that the messiah they were all hoping and praying for would be born in the lineage of King David. The messiah would be an ancestor of David. And from Jesus’ lineage we know that’s true about him. King David was born in Bethlehem, and similarly, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This phrase though points to the manhood of Jesus, that he is fully human. He is the Son of David.

The second line is a phrase from Psalm 118 which again refers to the coming of the messiah. This phrase helps us understand that though Jesus is a man, he comes in the power and authority of God.

Third is Hosanna in the highest heaven, again this points to Jesus’ divinity, they are calling out to Jesus that he is in the highest heaven, meaning they are declaring Jesus is one with God. This means that Jesus is not just a man, nor is he simply a man coming in the authority of God, but that Jesus really is God, God in human form.

These three phrases the crowds shout perfectly illustrate the humanity, calling, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus to you? He is another human being like you. He is one who walked in authority from God, just like you as a believer walk in authority from God. Yet Jesus is also the infinite God, the one we should all love and worship and serve faithfully.

Next, verses 10-11: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jerusalem would’ve been very busy at this moment in history, with over 1 million visitors from all over the country and surrounding parts of the roman empire, they were all there to celebrate the Passover festival. And Jesus chose this vital moment to enter the city, and the crowds worshiped him. Yet so many there did not know him. They asked who is this man? And the people who knew him told everyone, he is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.

Now we see again the crowds still don’t fully understand who Jesus is. They don’t call him the son of God, they don’t call him the messiah. They still refer to him as a prophet only. So it’s clear their understanding is incomplete, and more will be revealed.

The entire city is not worshiping Jesus, many don’t know him, many will try to oppose him as he teaches. But, the faithful followers could sense deep within themselves, when they cried out Hosanna, to Jesus, that he was not a mere man, but something much more.

For us today, I want this to remind you that your actions have the power to change an entire community. Everything we do, whether good or bad affects the people around us more than we might realize. One action you take can change someone’s life forever. Either for good or bad.

If you faithfully follow Jesus, share Jesus, and get his word out there, if you’ll pray with people, speak the word of God, and mentor other believers in the faith, you may one day have the whole city saying, “Who is this? Who is this Jesus we’ve heard about?”

Jesus made a series of choices in his life, praying, healing people, preaching sermons, having conversations with people, and by the end of his three year ministry, the entire capital was talking about him, wondering who he was. If you will faithfully do the same things, you may just have a city asking who is Jesus!

A word on the authority of scripture: The Bible is a historical book, a book of poetry, it includes eye witness accounts, prophecies, letters to churches, and accounts of the creation of all things. The writings in the Bible were written down by people, people who were inspired by the Spirit of God to write down the knowledge and wisdom of God. The writings of the Bible flow together seamlessly, spanning over 3,400 years. There is no other book like the Bible.

I know that this event, where Jesus road on a donkey into Jerusalem really happened. I know that it was not just some story or myth, but a real historical event.

We can trust the Bible. Historians trust the Bible. Archaeologists use the Bible to unearth ancient treasures. Scientists have trusted the Bible all the way back to Galileo and Isaac Newton. The body of Christ trusts the word of God as our only guide to knowing Christ.

I want to jump all the way back to the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah. This scripture foretells the coming of Jesus.

Listen to this scripture from Isaiah chapter 53 verses 3-6:
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all."

We all need the redeemer. We all need God to remove our sins, so we can be new. Are your sins washed away in Jesus blood? Don’t assume just because you go to church on Sunday, or watch a live stream that you’re a Christian. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than being in the garage would make you a car. Either we believe in Jesus, or we are lost in our sins. I know what it means to be lost. And so did Israel. In Jerusalem the people celebrated the entry of Jesus. But the leaders of Israel the pharisees were also watching the entry of Jesus. And they were so very angry. They had been trying to stop Jesus, to get rid of Jesus, to keep Jesus quiet. They hated his teachings. And when they saw the whole city celebrating the entry of Jesus, they said, “We are not succeeding at all. Look, the whole world is worshiping Him!”

And the truth is those same Pharisees would work with the Romans, and Judas, to get Jesus crucified. But Jesus knew this would happen. It had all been predicted thousands of years earlier. Jesus, God in human form, would die on the cross, to pay for the sins of the world.

Jesus, God with us, was nailed to the wooden cross for my sins. It was as if I sat in a court room, and a list of my sins was being read off. We all have that list, of things we’ve done, lied, hurt our parents, stolen things, make bad choices, and committed evil deeds. That list is being read off in the court room, and I’m guilty. I know I’m guilty. I deserve to be sent out from God’s presence, to outer darkness, and I know its true. God is so holy, so perfect, and I want that so badly, but I know internally that my sins are too much.

As Isaiah wrote in chapter 59 verses 2-3:
It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
Because of your sins, he has turned away
and will not listen anymore.
Your hands are the hands of murderers,
and your fingers are filthy with sin.
Your lips are full of lies,
and your mouth spews corruption."

The judge declares me guilty, and I know he’s right. But Jesus walks over to this judge and says no, all of those sins, I’ll take the punishment for him. I’ll receive the sentence that he deserves, I’ll remove those sins that are destroying him, I’ll take them all into my being, and receive the death penalty for him. Jesus sets me free.

Do you know him? Have you really personally made that commitment? make that commitment today. It’s the best choice I ever made in life.

Jesus was victorious. And the truth is Jesus is alive right now. Each of us will see Jesus face to face. We could reach out and touch his hand. Jesus is alive right now. He is seated on his throne, ruling and reigning in heaven. He is also here with us right now. And he knows your name.

Last point for today, when we scope out and look at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, I see one key theme that rises above all of the other points we’ve mentioned today.

It’s the theme of celebration. The crowds are celebrating. They are excited. They are waving palm branches and worshiping the Lord Jesus.
We too should celebrate that Jesus has triumphally ridden into our hearts and now lives there as our King and Lord.

That is the ultimate reason to celebrate. We should live lives of celebration. Our church services should be expressions of celebration. We’re celebrating, shouting, praising, worshiping, because Jesus has made us clean. He has paid our price. And he has given us new life. And we are on our way to heaven.

If we aren’t excited about that it’s because we don’t fully understand it or we don’t fully believe it. But sometimes I just have to sit back and think to myself, “Look at what God has done, Justin!” You used to be so lost, so depressed, and empty, and now look at you, full of life, becoming each day progressively more and more like what you were always meant to be.

Your sins are gone! Your robed in the righteousness of Jesus. Your royalty, a son of the king.

Jesus has done it all! He is the King! He is our King! And all is well. That’s a reason to celebrate.

Celebrate every day what Jesus has done for you. He’s paid it all, and he loves you more than anything.

The Peace of Jesus Christ

Why do so many Christians live their lives feeling miserable and having so little peace? There are many reasons for this, but I’d like to point to one very important fact. We don’t have peace because we allow our heart to preach to us, instead of preaching the scripture to our heart. We are always thinking things, saying things, believing things, lies from the devil, like we aren’t good enough, it’s not gonna work out, everything is going to fall apart, it always happens this way, but we need to preach the word of God to our hearts: I have peace in Jesus, all things work together for the good of those who love God, I can do all things through Christ, and as we do that, we guard our heart, and as we preach to our heart, our heart changes, and pretty soon our hearts are preaching the word of God to us, and then, a barrier is formed, the truths are in our heart, and we can live from those truths.

The last few weeks we’ve been looking at some of the most important moments from the life of Jesus. We’ve looked at the raising of Lazarus, the transfiguration on the mountain last week, and we began all this with the crucifixion. Today we come to yet another pivotal moment in the life of Jesus.

Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, thousands had cheered his entrance in the streets waving palm branches.

Over a million people had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of the Passover. The Passover was celebrated once a year by Israel, similarly to the way we Christians celebrate Christmas, or the Resurrection each year.

It was a festival to celebrate how God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, how God forced Pharaoh to let his people leave, through his servant Moses.

Jesus had gathered with his twelve disciples to celebrate the Passover. But this would be a very special gathering. Jesus would be giving some of his last instructions to the disciples before he went to the cross.

It was on this night that Jesus would be arrested, and taken before the authorities.

So today we’re looking at the last instructions given by Jesus. And what may surprise you is that these instructions have a lot to do with comfort and with peace. And I think we’re going to see that Jesus told his disciples, and tells us today, that we can choose peace through the difficulties we face in life, if we’ll abide in Him.

The disciples are in an upper room prepared for their dinner together. It’s at night. Judas the betrayer has already left to go inform on the authorities where Jesus could be found. They are sitting around a table, having finished the Passover feast, and now Jesus speaks these words, among many others, to his disciples.

As always, as you listen, listen for how you can apply what Jesus is teaching to your own life.

I want to pull in verse 1, it says this: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me.” -John 14:1

He reminds the disciples, don’t let your hearts be troubled. Instead, believe.

First point today, guard your heart. I’m learning about this myself. Sometimes we get so focused on something, we start to turn it around in our heads, we let it in our hearts, and then when it doesn’t go our way, we’re devastated. Jesus says “don’t let your heart…” Which implies that we can block things from our heart, we can block feeling troubled from our heart. And if we need help with that, believe in God, believe in Jesus. That’s trust.

I wanted to start with that, because we want to understand today about peace, we can choose it, we can allow it into our heart, or we can choose to be miserable. Two things, guard your heart, and believe in God, is a great starting point. Choose peace, and choose trust in Him.

Jumping down to verse 15: “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Jesus does this a lot, and it’s echoed in the New Testament letters, I’ve heard preachers say God’s love language is obedience. If we want to show that we love God, by our actions we should keep his commands.

What are the commands of Jesus? The most important are these two:

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ -Matthew 22:37-39

But there are many others as well, and we’d have to go back to our series called the Kingdom of God, in which we looked at the parables of Jesus. Every parable contains teachings we can and should follow as believers.

But love is the greatest command, to love God, and love fellow humans.

Second point today, keep the love commands of Jesus to ensure peace. I have no peace when I’m disobedient to God.

Next, verses 16-17: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you.”

Where does the peace of God come from, as it flows through us? The peace comes from the Holy Spirit. God in us. We have the Father who is over us. The son Jesus who is walks beside us through life. And the Holy Spirit, God within us.

He is called the advocate. The Greek word for advocate here is paraklētos which gives the picture of a legal counsel, an advocate who is supporting someone is a court case, or in a more general sense, a helper, one called to be an aid to someone else.

The Spirit of truth Jesus calls the Holy Spirit here, because in this section of scripture, Jesus is emphasizing that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach the disciples after Jesus goes to the cross.

The world can’t accept the Spirit, non-believers don’t have the Spirit, though at some moments the Spirit may use a non-believer to speak to us. But the Spirit dwells within believers, because we know Him and He is in us.

Third point, the peace of God is not produced in us, it comes from Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, to us. And peace comes through truth, peace will not rest on lies.

Next Jesus says, “ 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”

Jesus is giving a promise to the disciples about what is about to happen. Jesus knows he about to die on the cross. And he knows how they will feel afterward. They will feel so troubled that they will want to give up completely, even go back to their old lives.

But, Jesus gives them this promise that he won’t leave them like orphans, he will come to them.

This is an important reminder for us as well: When difficult things happen, God will not leave us like orphans, God will come to us, help us, encourage us, and lead us toward something better.

Many times I’ve felt so alone and depressed. Many times I’ve felt like I can’t handle the situation I’m trapped in, but God, as I pray, gives me the strength I need to endure.

Next point today, God will not leave us like orphans, he will be with us in the difficulties. And when we know that, we can have peace.

Verse 20, “ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

On that day you will realize, I love that! In the future you will understand what I mean.

It takes years of walking with Jesus and living the faith, and slowly we understand new concepts about who God is and who we are. These are moments of revelation. Wow, I get it now. You can probably remember a few times when you finally understood something from the Bible that had alluded you for a long time. We’re slow to learn, God understands that, he’s patient with us.

After everything would happen, Jesus would be crucified, the disciples would go into hiding, and Jesus would entombed, the disciples would be confused, praying, seeking answers, waiting, but finally, Jesus would rise from the dead, and appear to them by the sea of Galilee. And at last they would understand who he really was.

They would realize, that Jesus is in the Father, and they are in Jesus, and Jesus is living within them.

Once again, this realization is powerful. When we realize that Jesus is one with God the Father, we know Jesus has total authority over us, he came from God. When we realize we are in Jesus, then we know that we can exercise kingdom authority because we’re already seated with Jesus on the throne, and when we know Jesus is living in us, we know that we don’t have to be afraid. We can have peace beyond measure.

Next, verse 21: "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Jesus already loves the disciples and he loves each of us. We live from a place of safety and security, already fully loved by Him. But, Jesus once again reminds us, if you want to express your love for me, obey what I taught you. That’s how we communicate to Jesus that we love him back, by following the pattern of life he taught us. All of that is based in love for God and love for neighbor. And if we obey Jesus, it’s an expression of love for God. God loves us as well. Jesus loves us too, and shows himself to us.

I’ve found, as we walk in faith with Jesus, we know God more and more, and as we love God more and more, we obey Jesus more and more. And as we obey Jesus, our relationship becomes so intimate, that Jesus will show us profound mysteries. He will share his great secrets with us. And we will be amazed. On the deep end of the Christian life, we find supernatural experiences. That is the spice of life of the Christian life. So many stay in the shallow end, go in deep in your obedience, your prayer, your chasing after God, and you will experience Jesus in powerful ways. This experience of Jesus deepens our experience of peace.

Next, we get a question from one of the followers:

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

It’s a question we’ve all wondered about I’m sure, why doesn’t Jesus just show himself to the entire world, then everyone would follow him, right?

Jesus wisely reminds the disciples, it’s not about seeing, it’s about the heart. God doesn’t just show up to every person on the planet visually. But it is God’s desire that everyone be allowed to make their own decision. No one should be forced to believe.

Instead, Jesus says, the real test is, anyone who loves Jesus will obey him, and those who don’t, will not obey him.

The doorway is faith. Believing in Jesus even though we don’t see him, yet we know he’s real from his word, and his Spirit. Then, after believing, we show our love by obeying Him, then Jesus reveals himself to us. And we go from believing in Him, to knowing Him.

This deep trust that leads to knowing leads to profound peace. In short trust leads to peace.

Next, verses 25-26: “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

What’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit in you? First, to teach you all things. The Spirit is always teaching me something. It’s not always from the word of God itself, but it lines up with the word. Second, the Spirit will remind us of the word of God, the Bible.

That’s why it’s important though to know the word, because the Spirit will remind you of the word, but if you don’t’ know the word, how can the Spirit remind you of it?

The Holy Spirit is your teacher.

Next, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” -John 14:27

The more important portion of the scripture for our purpose today, we’re told very clearly that Jesus gives us peace.

Do you long for peace? Do you often feel anxious and afraid? Keep this scripture close to your heart. Store it in your heart. Write it on a piece of paper and put in your fridge. Recite it each morning in your prayers.

Peace I leave with you. Now I believe the peace he speaks of here is a person. Peace I leave with you. Peace is the Holy Spirit with them.

A traditionally Jewish greeting common during the time of Jesus was, “shalom” which means peace, or peace to you. If you want to speak it strongly, you would say, “shalom shalom.” Peace peace to you. Jesus says it twice, shalom I leave with you, my shalom I give you.

Peace of the Spirit Jesus gives us. But also the peace of Jesus he gives us. Shalom shalom. A double portion of peace is heaped upon us, placed gently into our souls.

We need peace is a difficult world. But we can have peace. Double peace. Peace from the Spirit and peace from Jesus.

Jesus says I don’t give to you as the world gives. When the world gives there’s always a price tag involved. "You help me and then I'll help you." It's quid pro quo. And what the world gives quickly rots away and doesn’t last. But, the shalom shalom we receive from Jesus lasts the test of time. It’s new every morning, as we receive it and hold onto it.

He says again: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Like verse 1 today, guard your heart, guard the shalom, and tell fear, you’re not welcome here.

Declare it over your life: I choose peace. I choose shalom. I say no to fear. I say yes to Jesus love. I guard my heart. I will obey my Jesus. I let peace rule in my heart. I receive the shalom shalom of Jesus and the Spirit. Amen.

Next, verses 28-29: “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.”

This is another reminder to the disciples, Jesus is predicting his death on the cross, and his rising again to life, and his appearing to them again later. He reminds them that they should be glad, because he’s going to die for them, and he’s going to do the will of the Father.

He’s telling them ahead of time, so when they see him die, they will know, he said this would happen, we believe in Him.

God does the same for us. He will tell us a hard time is coming, so that when we go through it, we can remind ourselves of what God said to us, and it helps bring us through. God has done that for me numerous times, often using a particular scripture for a particular era of my life. For one era it was Isaiah 40:31, another it was Hebrews 12:1-3. What scripture has God spoken over this era of your life? Ask Him in prayer, and search the word. And like I said earlier, as you know Him more deeply, you’ll receive more revelation from Him, whispers about the past, the present, and the future.

Lastly, verses 30-31: "I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me."

“Come now; let us leave.”

Who is the prince of this world? It’s Satan, the adversary. Jesus reminds them, I’m not a victim of Satan. I could strike him down at any time. I could call on angel armies to overcome him. But, Satan is coming because the whole world must see that Jesus loves the Father, and does exactly what the Father commands.

Jesus gives us the perfect example to follow, Jesus obeys the Father so completely, not because he fears the devil, he doesn’t, not because he fears God, though I’m sure Jesus walked in the fear of the Lord, but, because He loves the Father so dearly, because the Father is pure love and entirely good.

God is the truth. In a world of lies, God gives us the Spirit of truth. And as we walk in obedience to God, our peace is total. If we walk in disobedience we won’t have peace. But, as we love God, and obey God, the double peace of God fills our hearts, and we can have peace in any situation, even in difficulties, even when the enemy attacks, our peace is made complete through Jesus.

Last thought, the last thing Jesus says is come lets us leave. It’s a great reminder, that though we have peace in God, this peace does not sit by itself, it’s an active peace, a shalom that is active, moving from place to place, doing the will of the Father.

Review of Main Points:
1. Guard your heart: Don’t allow grief to take over, choose Peace and pursue it

2. God’s love language is obedience: If you love Jesus obey His commands, this brings peace

3. The Holy Spirit of Truth is In Us: Peace of God flows from God within us

4. God will not leave us like Orphans: In struggles, God comes to us and helps us

5. When we realize that Jesus in our Hearts, we are no longer afraid

6. As we go deeper in our relationship with God, peace increases

7. The doorway is faith: Trust in God leads to peace

8. The Holy Spirit is our teacher showing us the way/lifestyle of peace

9. Jesus gives us a double-portion of peace, shalom shalom: Choose to allow this peace to reign in your heart

10. In difficult seasons of our lives God will speak a scripture over that season to give us peace through it, to return to the promise over and over

11. Like Jesus, we obey God because we love Him: Obedience in love leads to peace

12. The Peace of God is Active, it means serving faithfully wherever he sends us

The Mountaintop Experience: Transfiguration of Jesus

What is the ultimate authority in your life? Who do you check with before you make an important decision? Maybe you call dad or call mom, or send a message to a close friend?

Most people simply make decisions based on what they think is best. They do whatever they believe is right in their own eyes. Maybe that’s what you tend to default to, even though you profess to be a follower of Jesus.

You basically just check with yourself. And to God you kinda look like a grown adult wearing a burger king crown. You should know by now, because you aren’t a kid anymore, that you aren’t the king. But there you are still wearing that burger king crown and playing king of yourself.

That is not a pleasing way to God for you to live your life. Jesus must be the ultimate authority in your life.

Don’t get me wrong, God is not a dictator who wants to force you to do exactly what he says at all times. He gives us life to choose, create, and enjoy. But God knows what's best for you. His will is perfect.

We can choose our own ways, but, if we simply allow God to lead our lives, things will go just as they should.

That’s trust, that’s faith, to walk in the way God requires of us, even when we don’t fully understand His ways.

A temptation may appear in our lives, and we are faced with a decision, as our flesh begins to say, “I want that” what will we do? The Spirit within us will pull us back internally and say: "That isn’t who you are."

And we choose trust, or we choose evil. You are free to make your choice, but you are not free from the consequence your choice will bring.

A famous Christian writer Oswald Chambers said that the answer to temptation is to “go higher.”

In Revelation 4:1 we see the Lord saying to John, “Come up here and I will show you what comes next.”

There was a door standing open in heaven. And John went up, and through it.

What door has God placed open before you in your life? And how can you “go up” and through it, to the next level of your faith journey?

That is going to be the theme of our message for today.

There have been numerous times that God has opened a door in front of me and asked me to walk through it. But every time it required me to “go up” and climb higher to get through the door.

Today, we see three disciples of Jesus going up with Jesus.

Let’s dive into our scripture for today, from Matthew 17:1: "Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone."

Jesus takes his three closest disciples up a high mountain. They begin the climb together. Higher and higher together. Winds blowing. Bright sun shining down. Birds and goats and animals calling out around them. Beautiful, mysterious, brilliant, exciting. They climb the mountain together, three men together with their dearest friend and Lord.

Six days before this moment was a very important day. This was the day that Peter for the first time recognized Jesus as the messiah. Peter was the first of anyone to realize Jesus was the true savior. Peter had taken a huge step in his faith, when he made this declaration.

Jesus also on this day told the disciples for the first time that he was going to be put to death, and rise from the dead three days later. And immediately Peter rebuked Jesus, and told Jesus that this would never happen to him. And Jesus replied to Peter, “Get behind me Satan!”

Often we come to the mount top experience only after faithful service leading to revelation. Peter has gone everywhere with Jesus, learned so much, and has now realized the true identity of Jesus. Yet almost immediately after, Peter makes a serious mistake by rebuking Jesus.

He went from one moment of being inspired by God to declare Jesus is the true messiah, to in another few moments being used by the devil so thoroughly that Jesus calls him Satan.

It’s a good reminder that one moment we can be used by God, but if we aren’t careful the next moment we can be used by the enemy.

When I’ve understood something powerful about God, something new that God revealed to me, it is sometimes followed by a demonstration of this reality.

If I learn that God is pure love, often God will demonstrate this reality to me through a love moment. Faith came first, then the evidence came after. The reality Peter understood 6 days earlier is about to be demonstrated to him.

Verse 2, “As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”

Jesus is the messiah. Jesus is really more than just man. More than just a good teacher. More than a simple carpenter. More than someone who spoke on behalf of God. Jesus is the living Son of God.

He shines brighter than a thousand suns. White as light. Other translations say he glowed as white as snow.

Jesus is the authority we need. One day we will see Jesus like this, bright as light, shining like the sun, seated, with every person bowing before him. But right now we live by faith. We trust that Jesus is the authority. We know deep down it’s true.

But we’re tempted to make compromises because we don’t actually see Jesus face to face. Trust Jesus. Submit under the authority of Jesus, completely. Let sin die in your life. Take sin seriously. Fear God. Submit to God. Jesus is real.

I don’t want to appear before Jesus someday and say, if only I had listened, if only I’d taken it more seriously. Don’t let that be you. Take it seriously today. Make a change. Go all in for Jesus. He is the real authority.

Submit to Jesus. What does that mean? From the 1828 Webster's Dictionary: “To yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another” Surrender to the authority of Jesus in your life. Stop trying to run your own life. You aren’t qualified. Surrender to Jesus’ authority. Another quote from the Webster's dictionary: “To surrender; to yield one's person to the power of another; to give up resistance.” Give up your resistance to Jesus’ authority. Yield completely, surrender completely. He’s worthy. He’s God. He’s your boss. End the rebellion. Let it end today. Praise God!

Next, verse 3: “Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.”

Moses and Elijah, the ultimate authorities of the Old Testament, Elijah the greatest of the prophets, Moses the greatest of the judges. What does this mean? The greatest heroes of the Bible, appearing with Jesus, speaking to Him. Do you know what it means? Jesus is the messiah, the anointed savior of all mankind.

Verse 4: "Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

So you’ve sensed God calling you to a higher level in your faith walk. You’ve submitted to his authority. Jesus stands at the door, and invites you forward. At first you’re nervous, you resist, you don’t want to go higher, you don’t want to walk through that door.

Any change in our lives with God is scary at first. It’s different. It’s new. But we’ve got to see this Christian life as a journey, where we are climbing higher and higher, getting closer and closer, more and more intimate with God. And yes that goes against our flesh, so we want to resist every step of the way.

Ignore the flesh. Embrace the Spirit. Climb up higher. Walk through the doorway. And you come to the revelation, like Peter, who declared, "Jesus is the messiah!" And after the revelation, came the demonstration, Jesus is shining bright before Peter, and Peter is amazed. He cries out, “It is wonderful for us to be here!”

It is so wonderful brothers and sisters when we walk through that doorway, into all God has for us. It is wonderful when we dare to climb the mountain and get alone with God. It is wonderful when we come to the other side of the challenge and find we’ve become stronger than we could’ve imagined.

Peter wants to setup memorial stones, an altar at this place, but the memorial will live forever in his heart. It is the same with you. You will always remember the moments when God spoke into your life, you’ll always remember the moments when God revealed himself in a new way. They become memorials in your heart, if, that is, if you treasure them, and choose to remember them.

Treasure them. Write them down in your journal. Take them with you on your journey. Tell them to your children, and your grandchildren. Tell your family and friends the great moments and what God did for you. They become your testimony, and how God broke into your life with great glory. Those are the memorial stones, not an altar, but a testimony of what He did.

Sometimes my wife and I will think about who we are today, and then what we were like a year ago, or three years ago, and we’re just shocked by how much work God has done in us in such a short time.

Maybe you’re sitting there and thinking, I feel stuck. I feel like I can’t reach up to these higher levels. I see the doorway, I’ve seen it for so long, but I don’t feel motivated enough to get there. I feel stuck. Stagnant. Dry. Unmotivated. If that’s you, I understand, I’ve been there. Come to the altar, and pray. Ask God to help get you unstuck. If you’re there, start praying, ask God to help you pray. Prayer is the answer, pray and pray, more and more, begin to seek diligently. Ask God to help you do this, and you will succeed. Point the light at the problem directly. Cry out to God: “Lord I feel so stuck, have mercy on me! Set me free from this dryness! In Jesus name, amen.” God will answer.

“Come up here and I will show you” Revelation 4:1

Next, the ultimate revelation, verse 5, “But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

God our Heavenly Father actually speaks. Much like the cloud settled on Mt Sinai when Moses was on the mountain. It settled on the mountain, this great cloud of glory, for six days. And on that sixth day God spoke from the cloud.

The Father in Heaven puts his full stamp of approval on Jesus, “This is my Son, who brings me joy, listen to Him.”

Imagine seeing this moment! What a glorious day! But remember, the faith came first, then came the demonstration.

It’s similar for you, when God brings you to a new doorway, you can’t see everything you’ll become in Christ if you walk through. But, you have faith that God will do something amazing. And by faith you climb up the mountain, and walk through the doorway on the mountain. And through that doorway, you find the incredible breakthrough you had always dreamed of.

I’ll give you an example: I had to face something that happened when I was 17, something that had caused damage to my emotions, damage to my ability to love. I had to go back and face what happened, and ask Jesus’ help to learn to allow love in again. And Jesus lead me through that doorway, and into a new level of freedom.

God speaks and the disciples are amazed. But more than amazed, they are scared.

It says verse 6, “The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.”

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. An appropriate response to the voice of God speaking is fear. I’ll tell you this friends, I fear God. I love Him just as much. But I also fear God. I know he has power to send me to hell, or to heaven. I know that my actions as a Christian matter. I know that if I live in sin I will not inherit eternal life, let no one deceive you. Fear God, keep His commands. Know that our God is a consuming fire. Don’t get me wrong, He loves you, but he shows no partiality. He will judge the wicked. And if that includes you, then he won’t bat an eye at sending you there too. God is merciful and severe in His judgments.

Verse 7, “Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”

As soon as they fear the Lord, they are reminded to not be afraid. We should fear God, but we shouldn’t live in fear. Fear comes at the appropriate moment, and then it passes, and the love and joy of God takes over. Don’t live in constant fear. The fear of the Lord will guard you at moments when you are tempted or in the flesh, but don’t live there. Let the fear pass away as quickly as it came, and allow the love and joy to overcome you once again. Because God’s love is so strong that God is love itself. 

Fear of God is a tool for dangerous situations, but the joy of the Lord is for every day, and that’s why the word says everyday, “This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it” -Psalm 118:24

Jesus touches the disciples to strengthen them, after being overwhelmed by the power of God’s voice. And he comforts them, don’t be afraid. Let Jesus remind you of that today, “don’t be afraid.”

Next, verse 8, “And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.”

Just as quickly as this incredible moment of the demonstration of Jesus’ deity has changed the lives of Peter, James, and John forever, just like that, it ends. And Jesus is there with them, just as he was before, and the adventure continues.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “If God has revealed to you a new truth, you know it is because of growth in your character. Keep trusting and obeying him. Whenever he gives you a truth, apply it instantly to your life. Always work it out in your personal practices; always keep yourself in its light.” -My Utmost for His Highest

Take what God showed you, and apply it to your life. Maybe you’re thinking, I don’t experience mountain top experiences with God. But I think you do.

God said something to you in a church service that shocked and amazed you. You left different than when you came. In worship God whispered a word to you about his love and it brought you to tears. You saw a moment in your life where God supernaturally spared your life. You saw a moment where God used you in a beautiful way to help someone else. These are the experiences that change us forever. Take what God showed you, and keep using it.

Lastly, verse 9, “9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man[b] has been raised from the dead.”

Notice that timing is important for what Peter has experienced. Jesus tells the three disciples not to tell the others until after he is raised from the dead. Not everyone will be ready to hear what God has shown you. Use wisdom and ask God if it’s the right time to tell your friends and family about the revelation God has shown you.

Understand also that you can’t stay in the high of the glorious moment forever. You must continue walking with Jesus, in the plainness of everyday life. But always know that new mountain top experiences will come as you follow Jesus. So be excited about that.

Don’t tell anyone until I’ve been raised from the dead, Jesus tells them. Jesus gives them a hint of what’s coming in the future, that he will die, but also, that he will rise from the dead.

In conclusion, remember, the journey continues, the mount top experience that you had, when you decided to “go up” and walk through that open door Jesus showed to you is a glorious victory. Well done. But, the road continues, and a new doorway will appear at some point in the future. Jesus tells them, another door is coming for you all, where you will have to walk through my death, a difficult door, for certain, but on the other side, they will find Jesus is alive once again.

Again, the same scenario, the revelation comes first, Jesus will be raised from the dead, now it takes faith for them to walk to that moment, so much faith, as they saw Jesus’ body go into the tomb. He was dead. Yet the words of Jesus remind them, "I will rise from the dead." So the choice came, will I believe it, or will I refuse to believe it? It sounds crazy. Yet he said it. And every word Jesus says is true. So they walked through that door of faith, Jesus will rise, and the demonstration came, Jesus appeared to them, alive and well. And they rejoiced.

What about your life? Will you trust? Will you have faith for what he’s shown you? Will you trust His word? Faith comes first, then, after you’ve believed and walked through the doorway, you’ll find the results, victory, breakthrough, hope, renewal, a demonstration resulting from the victory of your faith.

Main Points Review: 

1. Who is the real authority in your life? Is it you or Jesus?

2. The key to victory over your flesh is to “go up” with the Lord

3. Faithfully walking with God leads to revelations from God

4.After we’ve believed, demonstration of the revelation comes

5. Jesus is the true authority we need in our lives, submit to Him

6. The Mountain Top Experience with God is wonderful

7. Treasure the experience, remember it and share it with your family and friends

8. If you feel trapped in dryness, ask God to help you escape the place where you are stuck

9. The fear of God is clean and helpful in our battle against sin

10. Don’t stay trapped in fear, return after the moment of fear to the spacious love of God

11. Take what you learned in the mountain top experience and apply it to your life

12. Watch for the next faith revelation, this is a journey, God will continue to speak new things

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

What is the greatest message ever given? The greatest sermon ever preached? Today I’m going to give to you the greatest sermon ever written. How do I know it’s the greatest sermon ever written? It’s because I didn’t write it.

It’s the sermon Jesus gave on the mount of olives during his ministry on Earth. It is a challenging message, encouraging and convicting and beautiful and challenging.

Many have struggled to interpret this sermon correctly. I’ve heard many times that this sermon isn’t about obeying what Jesus said, all the sermon is doing is just pointing us to the fact that we can’t obey God and we have to accept Jesus as our perfect sacrifice.

That is partially true, but also false.

If we say that the message is just meant to convict us of sin and point us to the sacrifice of Jesus, we’re missing the fact that Jesus gave commands here that we can and should follow.

But it is true that we can’t follow any of these teachings without Jesus. But, with Jesus in our heart, as our Lord and savior, and with the Holy Spirit within us, helping us, guiding us, and convicting us, we can and should hear, learn and apply to our lives every word Jesus shares in the sermon on the mount.

During this message I will offer very brief comments, mainly to indicate main points we can pull from it.

So without further ado here is the greatest message ever given:

The Beatitudes

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

This opening section is often referred to as the beatitudes. It’s a perfect sermon opening. What kind of attitudes of the heart does God bless? Humility, mercy, working for peace, pure, and so on. Point number one, where is your heart? In God’s kingdom it’s all about the heart.

Teaching about Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Second point, serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God. We may be tempted to hide our message, but putting it under a basket. We may be afraid, or nervous to share the word, but we must shine the truth out for all to see.

Teaching about the Law

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Third point, don’t ignore any of the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom.

Teaching about Anger

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’[c] 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone,[d] you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,[e] you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,[f] you are in danger of the fires of hell.[g]

23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice[h] at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Fourth point, Jesus teaches about anger. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them.

Teaching about Adultery

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’[j] 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye[k]—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand[l]—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Teaching about Divorce

31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’[m] 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Fifth point, Jesus teaches about sexual conduct. We’re told to take radical action if we are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful. We also get a teaching about marriage, that divorce is considered very serious and should be avoided.

Teaching about Vows

33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’[n] 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Teaching about Revenge

38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’[o] 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,[p] carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

Teaching about Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Point number six, love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you. We often think this seems too difficult or unrealistic. But Jesus says, be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

Teaching about Giving to the Needy

6 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point seven, Jesus had said earlier to shine your light so others will give glory to God, yet Jesus also warns us not to do good deeds to be admired by others, instead, give your gifts with a humble heart, and God will reward you. It's important that we avoid pride, by making sure our chief desire is to please God, not be seen and applauded by people. 

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,[t]
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,[u]
but rescue us from the evil one.[v]

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair[w] and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Point number 8, instructions on prayer, pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you, and pray in the format of the our father, a deeply personal and relational way to pray.

Teaching about Money and Possessions

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[x] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Point number 9, you can’t serve God and money. Let God be first, then you won’t have to fear, there will be no anxiety, because you trust God to care for you and not your own money/ability. Many of us in the wealthy western world pretend to rely on God but we're really relying on our money. Repent of this attitude, and put all your trust in God. Money is a tool, not a wall of protection. 

Do Not Judge Others

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others.[y] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.[z]

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye[aa] when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,[ab] ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy.[ac] Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Point number 10, don’t judge others. Stop looking at the conduct of others and look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you. If you've become judgmental in your walk with God, it's time to ask God's forgiveness. And ask God to renew a "right spirit within you."

Effective Prayer

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

The Golden Rule

12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

The Narrow Gate

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[ad] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Point number 11, be doggedly persistent in your walk with God. Keep praying, don’t give up, pray for years if necessary. Do to others what you would have them do to you, and be focused in your walk with God, because narrow is the way that leads to life.

The Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

True Disciples

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Building on a Solid Foundation

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Point number twelve, what will really matter in the end is not the things you claimed to believe, but how you actually lived them out. Did you apply the teachings of Jesus in your life? By our fruits people will know us. We’ll know false teachers by their fruit, and true teachers by their fruit. If we claim to follow Jesus but break God’s commands, we won’t be welcomed into heaven on judgment day. But, if we put into practice Jesus’ teachings, we will endure, like a house built on a firm foundation.

Main Points Drawn from the Message:
1. It’s about the heart, blessed are you if you are humble, merciful & pure in spirit

2. Serve God openly, so others will see and give glory to God

3. Don’t ignore the commands of God. Follow them. If you teach others to disobey even minor commands, you’ll be least in the kingdom

4. Don’t let anger control your conduct. If you have wronged someone, before you give anything to God, go and make it right with them

5. Take radical action if you are struggling with lust. We’re told to cut our eye out rather than end up in hell due to being lustful

6. Love your enemies. Serve those who do harm to you.

7. Don’t do good deeds to be admired, serve others humbly and God will reward you

8. Pray privately, don’t do it to be seen, when you fast keep it hidden, so God will reward you

9. You can’t serve God and money. Put God be first, then you won’t have to be anxious

10. Don’t judge others. Look at your own ways and make changes in your own life. The standard you judge others with will be used against you

11. Be persistent in your faith. Keep praying, don’t give up, walk the narrow road to life

12. Be wise and apply the teachings of Jesus to your life, then you will be like a house built on a firm foundation