Series: Questions asked by the Lord
Title: What Think Ye of Christ?
Text: Mt 22: 42
Date: August 14, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Tonight,
instead of beginning with my text, I want to begin with other scripture, then
work our way to the text.
In the New
Testament, the first sinner we find drawn to the Lord Jesus for mercy is in
Matthew 8.
Matthew 8: 2: And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean. 3: And Jesus put
forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately
his leprosy was cleansed.
This
man had a desperate need. So he came bowed own, humbled, broken, contrite. The first
word out of his mouth exalted Christ—“out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaks.” He did not say “I will” but “if thou will thou can.” True faith
in Christ is to believe Christ is able.
Then
another man came to Christ.
Matthew 8: 5: And
when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6: And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. 7: And Jesus
saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8: The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou
shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed…10: When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed,
Verily I say unto you, I have not found
so great faith, no, not in Israel.
This
man was a Roman soldier, not a Jew. So this man had not the word of God as did
the Jews. He was a Gentile. But he had
heard of Christ because faith comes by hearing and he came believing Christ. He
was in authority over 100 men—a centurion—but he did not come commanding, he
came “beseeching.” This man also exalted Christ in his speech, calling him, “Lord.”
He confessed his totally inability to help his servant. Then he took his place
in the dust, saying, “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.” He
exalted Christ, believing Christ was able to heal by merely speaking the word.
Christ said that he had not found so great faith, not even among those who had
the word, not even among those who appeared so outwardly moral and godly. Do
you see what Christ delighted in? He delighted in simple, child-like faith in
Christ.
Then in
Matthew 12, religious men came to Christ.
Matthew 12: 1: At that time Jesus went on the
sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to
pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2: But when the Pharisees saw
it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not
lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
The
Pharisees did what Pharisee’s in our day do, they were always watching others,
minding other folks business. In Mark’s
gospel, Mark put there statement in the form of question, “Why?” These men were not concerned about Christ. They
were not coming with a desperate need. These men were concerned about a day of
rest rather the very Rest the day typified; concerned about the law, rather
than the end of the law for righteousness to the believer; concerned about
sacrifice, rather than obeying God and believing on his Son; concerned about a form
of religion, rather than heart -worship of the Redeemer.
Then again,
religious men ask another question in verse 10.
Matthew 5: 10: And, behold, there was a man
which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to
heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
Their
question was not about their need of mercy, not about their unworthiness, but
to accuse. Work religionists ask questions, attempt to entangle the Lord’s
preacher and his people, for the same reasons that the Pharisee’s tried to entangle
Christ in his words. They attempt to justify themselves before men for not
worshipping Christ with his people.
Then in
Matthew 15 more religious men come to Christ with more questions.
Matthew 15: 2: Why do thy disciples
transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they
eat bread. 3: Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your
tradition?... 7: Ye hypocrites,
well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8: This people draweth nigh unto me with
their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9:
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
These
men were not interested in Christ. They had
their minds set on making sure others conformed to their church traditions, to
the commandments of men. When Christ told these men that it is the heart that
defiles a man, these fine religious folks became angry and murdered Christ in
their heart. But soon as he left there, Christ shows us a great contrast. At
that moment, God the Father drew unto him a Gentile woman in need of mercy. Now
notice the great contrast between those religious men with no need and this
sinner with great need.
Matthew 15: 22: And, behold, a woman of
Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of
David; my daughter is grievously
vexed with a devil 24: But he
answered and said, I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26: But he answered and said, It
is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27: And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs
eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her,
O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto
thee even as thou wilt. And her
daughter was made whole from that very hour.
She
came confessing her utter helplessness. The Lord’s answer seems harsh but he is
showing us the difference between a new heart, broken and contrite by Gods’
grace and that of the naturally religious heart of flesh in those Pharisees. Spiritually,
this woman was a lost sheep of the spiritual house of Israel. What would the
Pharisee’s have said at the Lord’s answer? Yet, she took her place as a dog
dependent upon and content for just a crumb for her Master, Christ the Lord. That is the heart gives his child by his
grace.
Then in
chapter 19 another question was brought by those fine, whitewashed, formalists.
Matthew 19: 3: The Pharisees also came unto
him, tempting
him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife
for every cause?
Do you
see the difference? Each time these
vainly religious men come to Christ they come with no thought about Christ, no
thought about their sinfulness, no thought about mercy and grace. They come only
with questions about law, about man’s doings, about form, always ready to debate.
That is the natural heart dead in trespasses and in sins. You and I are
Pharisee’s by nature. There is in every believer’s flesh a dead, legal Pharisee. The greatest thing believers have to be on guard
against is self-righteousness.
Then in
Matthew 20 two more needy sinners come to the Lord.
Matthew 20: 30: And, behold, two blind men sitting
by the way side, when
they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O
Lord, thou Son of David. 31: And the multitude rebuked them, because they
should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on
us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32:
And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do
unto you? 33: They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34: So
Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their
eyes received sight, and they followed him.
When a sinner has been shown his spiritual blindness by the
Lord’s grace, that sinner is like these blind men, nothing and no one can stop
him from crying out to the Lord Jesus for mercy. We have to have the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, the Lord Jesus “stood still” at the
cry for mercy!
Then in
Matthew 21, here come more of these great pious, righteous, religious folk—the
teachers and leaders. The problem starts in the pulpit. In most places in the
scriptures, Christ was most harsh with the teachers.
Matthew 21: 23: And when he was come into the
temple, the
chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this
authority?
The
best thing these men could have done was to shut up and listen to the Lord as
he taught. Instead, they were only
concerned with knowing what seminary Christ had been to and where he got his
credentials. There concern was what elder had given Christ authority for
casting the thieves out and for teaching in, what they thought, was the house
they lorded over.
They
came again in Matthew 22, with more questions.
Matthew 22: 17: Tell us
therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or
not?
Always,
there questions are earthy. When the
apostle Paul speaks in Romans 8 about the carnal mind only minding the things
of the flesh, this is exactly what he is speaking of. Those with only a form of religion in Israel minded
only the things of the flesh just as men with only a form in our day mind only
the things of the flesh. They had been
circumcised into the covenant of works at eight days old but had no idea natural
circumcision pictured spiritual circumcision of the heart, by God, by which his
child is brought under the everlasting covenant of grace. Their confidence was in the fact they were
natural sons of Abraham but they had no idea that the majority of the natural
sons of Abraham were not the sons of God, but that only the elect who are brought
to believe on Christ are the true sons of Abraham. They really thought they were keeping the law
but had no idea the law is spiritual, reaching even to the thoughts and intents
of the heart and only fulfilled through faith in Christ—the very one they
rejected. The only reason they looked for the Messiah was to deliver them from
Roman bondage and establish his kingdom on earth. Their minds were on the things of the flesh.
In our day, there are multitudes who call themselves Christians who mind the
exact same things.
These
religious men even came up with absurd scenarios to question the Lord about.
Matthew 22: 23: The same day came to him the
Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24: Saying,
Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry
his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25: Now there were with us seven
brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no
issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26: Likewise the second also, and the
third, unto the seventh. 27: And last of all the woman died also.28: Therefore
in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven?
Vain
men ask loads of questions that have no relevance and are totally unimportant. Things like “Who was Cain’s wife?” They could
have been asking Wisdom questions that mattered. Yet, here they stood asking
Christ about some outlandish scenario. Christ put his finger right on the problem
when these kinds of questions are asked. He said, “Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God.”
Now we
come to our text.
Matthew 22: 41: While the Pharisees were
gathered together, Jesus
asked them, 42: Saying, What…think…ye…of…Christ?
Proposition:
There is THE question that we need to be asking ourselves. This is THE issue, “What
think ye of Christ?”
Matthew 22: 41: What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son
of David. 43: He saith unto them,
How then doth David in spirit call him
Lord, saying, 44: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I
make thine enemies thy footstool? 45:
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46: And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
These
men answered quickly. You ever notice how religious folks in our day have all
the answers? Oh, to find someone that is teachable! Now, notice their answer, “The Son of David.” Their answer was partly true. Usually, false preachers say a lot of
truth. It is often what they leave out
that makes their gospel false. The only
way they could answer truthfully was to confess that Jesus is God in human
flesh, David’s God and the God with whom they must do business.
Subject:
What Think Ye of Christ?
Divisions:
We will divide the question into two parts.
I. FIRST, WHAT THINK YE…WHAT THOUGHTS ARE IN
YOUR HEART…OF CHRIST?
What do
you think of Christ? This is not merely what you think in your head. Salvation
is not intellectualism. This is a heart matter.
Proverbs 23: 7:…as a man thinketh with his heart so he
is.
Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.
Matthew 12: 34…for out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh. 35: A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth
forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil
things.
Have
you ever really, truly asked yourself this question, “In my own heart, what
think I of Christ?” The question is not what others think but what do you think
of Christ in your heart? It is not a
matter of what your spouse thinks or your children or your mother and father. The answer is not what you’ve memorized from a
commentary or a confession of faith or a catechism. What do YOU think of Christ in your heart?
Did you
notice the religious men, with all their vain questions, all had one thing in
common, they had no need of Christ. They had their systems of doctrine, they
thought they knew it all, they had their religious deeds and traditions and
forms. What need did they have of this Jesus? But everything they loved was a bad
copy of a bad copy of a bad copy. It was all the commandments and traditions of
men. They were more concerned with man-made doctrines, man-made church
traditions, keeping up appearances and being seen of men.
Christ
forbids us to forswear ourselves. We have no power to make one hair white or
black. Our life is a vapor. What audacity for church leaders to constrain men to
fill out a church covenant saying what men will promise to do! That is works, not grace!
Luke 16: 15: And [Christ] said unto them, Ye are they
which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that
which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Men who
treat their family like hell at home, put on their Sunday-face, love to spend a
few hours each week talking religion, debating religion, and even fighting over
religion. But only a very small remnant are brought by God, to be confronted,
with that which is vital—THE ISSUE! Christ himself! Most people are too busy with the smoke
screen of vain questions, church order, religious history and religious
ceremonies. So it was with those
religious men that faced Christ. Their questions were not concerning Christ. They
were striving about vain, foolish questions. The Holy Spirit warns us through
Paul, saying,
1 Timothy 6:4: He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting
about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings,
evil surmisings, : Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute
of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
Most
let their jesus save them then move on to practical things. Very few in this world really need Christ.
Very few! And the gospel is very, very scarce.
Yet, it should come as no surprise that men and women think that
Christ’s gospel is commonly found everywhere because when Christ walked this
earth men thought the Head of the church was common.
Oh, but
what a contrast! Did you notice in those sinners who came begging mercy, that
they all had a desperate need for Christ? They came confessing their leprosy,
their total inability, their blindness, taking their place as dogs, believing
on Christ, persuaded he alone was able to save!
What think
ye of Christ? Do you think that you really, really have a need of Christ? How desperate
is that need?
When a
man is starving, he will go where food is. When a man is dying of thirst, given
water, he will drink. Do you hunger and thirst after Christ our Righteousness?
Job 23: 12:…I have esteemed the words of his mouth more
than my necessary food.
John 6: 67: Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also
go away? 68: Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou
hast the words of eternal life. 69: And we believe and are sure that thou art
that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Christ said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they
are life.” (Jn 6: 63) He said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they
follow me!” (Jn 10: 27) When Christ speaks the Spirit and the Word create life
within the dead sinner was not there. Then Christ’s sheep hear Christ exalted
in the gospel and man abased. Where they hear the glory of the triune God in
Christ Jesus—not sometimes, not every half dozen messages—ALL THE TIME—there
they camp out at Christ’s feet!
Christ went into Martha’s house.
Luke 10: 39: And she had a sister called Mary, which also
sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40: But Martha was cumbered about much
serving,…
There is the problem with 99.99% of religion
in our day.
Luke 10: 39:…and [Martha] came to him, and said, Lord,
dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her
therefore that she help me.
When a
sinner is taught to mind the things of the flesh, when you are cumbered about
much serving, everything becomes about “ME!”
Luke 10: 41: And Jesus answered and said unto her,
Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42: But one
thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken
away from her.
Christ
said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (Jn 15:
5)
God
reveals to his child our desperate situation in sin, then the sinner realizes,
“I have to have Christ!—I have to have his words in his gospel—I have to have
his presence in my heart!” When you meet Christ, you never grow beyond Christ.
Illustration of Brother
Mahan and Brother—“Christ is all.”
What think ye of Christ? Is Christ all to you? Or is
there more than Christ?
II. SECONDLY, WHAT THINK YE…OF CHRIST? WHAT
DO YOU THINK OF CHRIST HIMSELF?
Not
what ye think of the doctrine of total depravity, or election and so on. You
could teach a monkey the five points of Calvinism. Have you “learned Christ?”
True
doctrine gets all its light from Christ and it all glorifies Christ. If what
you are being taught does not declare you to be worthless, helpless, powerless
withering grass and Christ All then it is not true!
John 17:3: And this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
We are
not talking about the jesus most men are preaching—we are talking about the Jesus
Christ whom God has sent! Do you know him!
2 Corinthians 11: 2: For I am jealous over you with godly
jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as
a chaste virgin to Christ. 3: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. 4: For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye
have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well
bear with him.
There is “another jesus”, “another
spirit”, and “another gospel.” God sets
the heart of his child on the “simplicity of Christ.” He sets our hearts singularly
on Christ alone. Saul of Tarsus was a man cumbered about much serving, troubled
by many things. But after Christ saved
him, the apostle Paul said, “I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus
Christ and him crucified!” (1 Cor 2: 2)
Who is Jesus
Christ? He is God in human flesh! Immanuel, God with us.
Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel
2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Only
God in human flesh could obtain eternal redemption for us. Jesus Christ is the
GodMan, absolutely sovereign God who rules all in heaven and earth and
absolutely bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.
Why did
Christ come?
Matthew 1:21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Christ
came to save his people from our sins. Christ did not lay down his life for
everyone. He laid down his life for the sheep.
Christ
came to declare God just and the Justifier of all who believe. He came to
satisfy justice so that the death sentence has been executed on all of God’s
elect in him. So that God is just. No
harm is done to his law in saving his people from our sins. And God in Christ is the Justifier.
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus.
What did Christ accomplish?
Hebrews 10: 12: But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13: From
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14: For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Christ
purged our sins by himself. He obtained eternal redemption for us himself. By
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified—those elected,
redeemed, and regenerated by his grace were all perfected forever, not by
anything we have done, but by Christ’s one offering.
Where
is Christ now?
Ephesians 1: 20:…he raised him from the dead, and set him
at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but
also in that which is to come: 22 And
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church, 23 Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all. 2: 1: And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins;
That is
what Christ he doing now?
Ephesians 4: 11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in
love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ: 16 From whom the whole body
fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Christ
adds to the church daily such as should be saved. Through the Holy Spirit
Christ is formed in his child giving us life and faith in him. He is teaching us his gospel. Christ is
growing us—it says “from whom the whole body”—“according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part”—Christ “maketh increase of the body.” Our Head is in his church in Spirit as real
and as powerful as he was when he walked this earth in bodily form. He will
continue this work till he brings every last, lost redeemed child to faith in
Christ and not one will be lost.
Christ
is All! Christ is the whole counsel of God. Christ is the subject of all
Scripture. Christ is the Bishop of our
souls, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Bread of life, the Captain of our
salvation. Christ is the Foundation, the Corner-stone, the Door, the Mediator,
the Prince of life, the Rock, and the Shepherd. Christ is the Sun of
Righteousness, the Light of the world, the Light of men, the Way, the Truth,
and the Life! Everything thing made was made by him and for him and he is
before all things and by him all things consist and all things show his glory
him in some way. Christ is Christianity. Christ is Salvation! When we are saved
into heaven, Christ will be our exceeding great reward, our heaven! Christ is
All!
Every
practical exhortation must be taught declaring: we have sinned and come short of
the glory of God in it, Christ fulfilled it and is our Righteousness in it, then
by his Spirit, he constrains us to obey him in love in the heart he has made
new.
Illustration: The light in the dark room—growing in grace and
knowledge of Jesus Christ.
What
think ye of Christ! Believers say, I
do not think of Christ as I ought. I do not give him the honor as I want to
think of Christ. I want to know more of him because the more I see him, the
more I see God’s glory, the more I see my sin, the more I see my need of him,
and the more I see all my salvation is accomplished in him. That is why when
asked, “What think ye of Christ”, true believers will say, “Christ is All!”