We are continuing our exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew. We call this series: The Kingdom of God. Matthew's Gospel contains the repeated affirmation of the rule and kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus comes on time and as planned. His coming is not a "plan B" in the redemptive purposes of God within history. With that said, we must remember that the Old Testament promised that God was going to do something in history that changed the shape of history, people, and the world... forever.
The Messiah was to rule in history. This rule would be redemptive in nature: it was about salvation. This salvation would extend to the ends of the earth and would bring forth the light of God, justice, and the law of God (Isaiah 2, 9, 11, & 42). The Lord Jesus sits upon the Mount and begins to pronounce His blessings of divine happiness upon His people. The Beatitudes wrap up with something that ought to give us a moment or two of meditation and thoughtful reflection. We are the preservative of the world. We are the means of God's grace for the darkness scattering and fleeing once and for all from the world.
This is big.
This little section says something about God's purpose for the people of God in the world. He means to use us for something. The truth that Jesus saves sinners must never been relinquished or abandoned. However, the lie that Jesus simply saves sinners must be repudiated and rejected with horror. God is remaking the world in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the beginning of the New Creation. We are all new creations in Jesus Christ. God intends on reshaping the world through the means of His people: the church. How?
Let's open His Word.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Jeff Durbin
Lead Pastor/Elder
Sunday, August 30, 2015