Matthew 23:36-39 (#82 2024.01.21)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:03

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the Bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the Bible. I'm your host, Scott Kemper. So we are walking our way through the, book Matthew. And as you go through scripture, number 1 thing for me is to see What God is showing us about himself. What is God showing us? And he does that in all sorts of ways. We're gonna see some Interesting things about his character and nature today, and we're also gonna see how his art is about Not only his people, but about those who are lost and unwilling. So we're gonna look at Matthew 2336 through 39.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:02

I'm gonna read those. You read those with me. Stand, if you will, out of reverence for god and his word. Very Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate. For I say to you, from now on, you will not see me Until you say, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the lord. The word of the lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:43

Thanks be to god for his word. So we looked at the 8 woes, and I tend to think when I hear the word woe, it's a negative. And in some sense, it is negative. So you think there's these woes And then then he's weeping. So what's the issue that's going on here? I thought about what's what do we see about the heart of God and the nature of God? We see both at work. We see how often mercy. How often is his mercy. Right? How often? I wanted to.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:15

How often? I wanted to. God's mercy, And yet it's bookended with his impending justice. We see is how often mercy is Is together what what what's he merciful about? Right? Repent while you can because the time will come to an end. And we always think about time chronologically, right, chronologically. And there is that sense of chronological time for each person for each person because it says at the end of each person's ordained time, a stunning thought, 1 we don't talk about often, but we have the ability to impact the quality of our life, But scripture seems to say not the quantity of our days, quality of our life. Right? In thy book, they were all written. Gee, what were written in your book? The days which were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. Doctor Tim Keller wrote a book before his death on death.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:22

In fact, it was called On Death. And he said When he came back with the cancer came back for the 2nd time, he said, I didn't wanna read my own book Because he said, of course, I thought other people die. I just don't die. Because it's hard to us to comprehend Right. Death, of course, because we had a finite beginning, and we think, of course, everyone does. And sometimes I think, are you on crack? You know? You just live as if you're forever. So this idea of, you know, we we plan as if we're going to be called home tomorrow, But we live as if it could be 30 years. It's a weird dynamic, isn't it? Right? So we have to plan As if.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:08

Right? As if. Debbie said plan as if. Right? God calls you home tomorrow. Live with gratitude kinda day by day And understand that it could be 30 years. It could be who knows? God knows how long, but he knows. We don't, and your days are ordained when as yet there was none. And scripture says inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die Once. There there is no reincarnation.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:36

You don't come back as something. Right? You die once and and then what? Judgment and then judgment. Scary thought for each person individual. Right? So he has mercy and impending judgment meant for each person at the end of each person's ordained time, but also at the end of all time. A day is coming. The day is coming, is it not? He said that the not only your days will not be forever, these days will not be forever. And he said, behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it is called, what, faithful and true. He's coming back again, diadems upon his head.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:16

He is leading the host of heaven. He is the he is the lord of the host of armies in heaven. Right? And he and he he will judge and wage war, and he will tread. What is he treading? The winepress of the fierce wrath of god. In other words, justice is coming. Justice is coming. With that, We indeed struggle. Right? Because sometimes we say, lord, get them.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:42

Right? Get those people. Get make sure they pay for what? Right? And these days, we're in the midst of it used to be, publicly, people would do wrong and hide it. Now they Do wrong and tell about it, and nobody cares because God has given us over, right, where everyone does right in his own Nice. That's right. We call good, bad, and we call bad, good. And so we think about, right, lord, bring justice. Right? Justice. In the Old Testament, they cry out in wrath, remember mercy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:20

It's the prayer in wrath, remember mercy, Because wrath is god's justice. We think about it as as a negative term. It's not. It's it's it's fierce. His wrath Wrath is fierce, but it is his justice, indeed his justice. And their friend of a friend came over, and he's just Trying to figure out who Christ is and what it means to him, and he said, tell me about god's justice and god's wrath. And I said, well, let's talk about it. Right? It is justice.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:53

If somebody perpetrated a crime against you, broke into your house, and killed your grandchildren and your wife. And the judge said, who cares? Let them go. What would you say? Say I would say, What kind of judge is that? Right? Unrighteous judge. So God's wrath is his justice, and righteousness It is is integral to justice. Justice is part of righteousness. Right? So at the end of all time, he will tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of god the almighty. So this idea of in wrath, remember mercy. He brings about his justice, but His mercy is for a time, and in some way, all Israel will be saved.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:36

What does that mean? We don't really know. We have the sense that that, fundamentally, before Jesus showed up, the bulk of believers were Jewish. Salvation is of the Jews first and then gentiles. The promise was to Abraham. Through him, all the seed, all the earth would be blessed. Right? That that we live now in a time of the Gentiles. Fundamentally, most are coming to Christ would be Gentiles, not Jewish by birth. But there is a a sense that God has a future to bring all Israel back, not everyone to be saved, but this idea that there'll be a time when The time of of, Israel when primarily, most of the people coming to Christ, whether that's in the kingdom age or Not really sure, but there there is a time in the future in the future.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:27

Right? How often? Mercy and impending justice. And it's really interesting in the midst of this. Sometimes we slide over scripture. He says, I I I want it. What do you wanna do? Gather your children together. And he says the way the way means light In a similar manner, not like today, which is a verb and an adverb and everything for people. People use like as a As a verb for all things, he meant he means in the same way. Right? In the way of.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:02

So Jesus wants to gather them together light in the same way as, What? A mother hen? What's a mother hen do? Beads, yeah, protects, Leads, guides, right, in the same way. And this is not a new picture, is it? He will cover you with his opinions and under his wings, you may seek refuge. So in Bethu's having her colon reduced in size, Having a section of it removed and then having the other sections put back together with glue and staples, which still is unbelievable to me. But, anyway, in the hospital, right, this was a verse that God gave her to remind her that he is the one that would protect her And Keeper, particularly since right next door, they had, you know, the death all over the the door. You know? If you go near into this, there must have been radioactive material in there or something. You know? In the hospital, it's like they're afraid of disease now. I thought that's where you went when you had disease. Funny.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:03

But, anyway, that was a scripture that Really, give her peace that god would protect her, cover you with his opinions. And keep in mind, he doesn't have opinions, does he, Nor does he have wings, nor does he have hands, nor does he have eyes or mouth. It is light. In other words, he's doing that in order that we would understand. So the lord gives us many and I put pictures. I mean, there are there are pictures. There are visuals. There are analogies, right, that are familiar to us.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:39

So I thought, let's look at some of these, because he's saying as a hen, well, I can't really I can't really resonate with a hen, but I kinda get the idea. Right? There's a hen who gathers her chicks to protect them and preserve them. You ever see them walking across the road or walking down the street, right, behind them? Alright. So in the same way, right, an analogy, a simile. Right? It gives us a picture. So he god gives us many pictures Many pictures, and these pictures are familiar to us. So scripture says he is like he's like a father. So when you think of father, what what comes to mind? Protector, guidance, provider.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:23

You know, when you have your first child, You can't imagine that you would love somebody as much as you would a child. Right? There is there is something that that is just and And then have a daughter and look out. Like, I I would you'll take a bullet for those children. Right? There is this seemingly unbreakable bond, Unbreakable commitment, right, unbreakable, connection with that child, right, Even as they grow up, so protect their guidance, provide your head. But scripture gives us some other senses of this is not only a father as we might say it, It's a father who had compassion on his children. Right? So he says as a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him. So this is not just a father who's a protector with guidance, a Rider head, the one who cares for, protects, right,

Speaker B [: 00:12:21

feeds

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:22

in the same way that that, you you would, but, also, This is a father with compassion. A father with compassion. How many know fathers without compassion? Yeah. We all probably have sense. It almost doesn't seem because of the strength of the father, but this father has compassion. And he is the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. He's also the father of mercies And the god of all comfort. Right? Those are words that wouldn't necessarily connect with father, would they? Mercies, comfort, Right? Along with protector.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:02

It also says God deals with you as sons for what son is there, which your father does not. That's like that word. Right? We don't like to say it. Right? Because for us, it feels negative. But if you submit the appropriate definition, he's if you if you flip this around and say, god deals with you as with Sons. Is that a good thing? Yeah. For sure. What son is there whom his father does not train? What son is there whom his father does not equip? What son is there who his father does not, develop skills? Right? And that's really It's it's someone who trains.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:44

Right? But discipline is a good thing because it's training. It is indeed training. But he reminds us there's only One father, and that's god the father. Right? So Ephesians says, 1 god and father of all who is overall and through all and In all, so there's 1 father, our father, who art in heaven, right, who art in heaven. Yet, he says there is There is there is but one god. And I thought about this. Elaine, you're on there, aren't you? Yes. I am.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:16

You asked that question about in Isaiah 9. Right? Jesus. Yeah. Right? So I put that in. Thing.

Speaker B [: 00:14:22

So I've

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:22

thought about that because it says he's he Jesus is gonna be the wonderful counselor, Almighty god, the mighty god, and eternal father. So you think about what does that mean? Well, there is 1 god and father, but it's Describing who he is in in his in his position and his role and the way that he deals with you. He is as a father. He is one who will protect and guide and provide and care for. Right? So Jesus has that same Heart, if you will. Right? Counselor, he's also mighty god, and he is as a as an eternal father. He operates with you as an eternal, the heart of a father as well as the responsibility of a father, and yet there's only 1 father, God the father. Does that make sense? Not totally.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:16

So Jesus is like a father. In other words, he's he's like a mighty counselor. For he's he is almighty god, and he's like an eternal father. Right? But there is only 1. And, again, 1st Corinthians, yet For us, there is but one god. Right? The father, from whom are all things, and we exist for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ. Right? Blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. So there is a father, The son and the holy spirit, 3 separate roles, but Jesus is as an eternal father With the same responsibility and the same heart and the same commitment to care, provide, protect, lead as a father would.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:01

That make sense? And you think about, of all the descriptions of who god is, Father would be, right, certainly one of the most compelling. The the god who spoke into being all that exists out of nothing Would be your father is stunning. Why? Because he's the creator, and we're the created. But he says he's also like a like a mother. What's a mother do? Generally, what's a mother do? I mean, think about mother. Nurture. Right? Comfort. Did somebody say tell you what to do? Did somebody say tell you when you're wrong? It's a Of course.

Speaker B [: 00:16:47

Yeah. The the the idea

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:49

of nurture, comfort can't, right, You know, wrap my arms around you, right, when you're her day. Right? Where do you go? You wanna go to your mother? You don't wanna go to your dad. It'll give you a lesson. Right? Your mother won't. And he says that god is as one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you. So there's that unique sense in that god is like a father. He's also like a mother. Right? Nurture and comfort.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:19

Also says he is like a shepherd. Like a shepherd like a shepherd, he will tend his flock, and he will gather the lambs and carry them in the fold of his Robe. Is that a great picture? He will carry them in the fold of his robe, not not not like a disconnected, Right. But like a shepherd who will carry you close to him. The fold of his robe is close to his heart. That's where he'll carry you. What a cool picture. You will gently lead.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:51

Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. Right? For thou art with me.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:11

Thy rod and thy staff, they come for me. I was set a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. I was anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever. The lord is my shep I am the good shepherd, Jesus says. What does the good shepherd do? He says, this is a shepherd unlike any other shepherd because this shepherd lays down his life for sheep. Now I'm telling you, if I had sheep

Speaker B [: 00:18:48

And I was a shepherd. I'd care for them, but I'm not going out in the cold, and I'm not putting myself in harm's way, and I'm Sure

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:57

certainly not gonna lay down my life for the sheep. Well, we have a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Right? And this sheep is coming again. In fact, he's the this shepherd is coming again. They call him the chief Shepherd, when he appears, what's gonna happen? If he comes back, if the end of time, the end of all time is before the end of your time, then he's calling you to himself. Right? And there will be, right, glory like a shepherd. So when you think about shepherd, what does shepherd do? Protects. Protects primarily.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:38

Right? Yes, sir. What else? Feeds. Right? When he says he makes me lie down in green pastures. Why is that? So I could eat someplace to eat. Right? Heeds. He cares for. He restores. You think about that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:55

Right? Shepherd. Mhmm. So he's like a father. He's like a mother. He's like a shepherd. But he says we we are the play, and the lord is the potter. All of us are the Work of your hand. So it's as if you made a table and you breathe life into it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:16

It's as if you made a statue And you breathe life into it. Instead, you said, why'd you do that? How come you did that?

Speaker B [: 00:20:26

How come you made me look like this?

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:28

You might say, dude, well,

Speaker B [: 00:20:31

who were you before I created you? But some version of that. Right? So the lord is not only our potter, he's our maker. And as a maker, potter

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:43

and maker. What's the potter and maker have? Well, it means they're they're creative, and they're creator. Right? Control. Control, and, certainly, the maker has rights. Doesn't the maker have rights over the maid? So it reminds us, know that the lord himself is god, it Says in Psalm 100, know that the lord himself is god. It is