WEBVTT 00:00:06.440 --> 00:00:09.060 This morning we returned to our study in Matthew. 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:12.279 We took a few weeks break. We had Palm Sunday 00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:18.920 and then Easter Sunday. So it's been about three 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:25.699 weeks. So what I decided to do today, I'm reading 00:00:25.699 --> 00:00:28.100 verses 1 to 3 and I'm going to skip down to verses 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:32.079 10 to 17 and Lord willing, next Sunday, I'll 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:34.630 go back and I'll preach 1 through 9. And I think 00:00:34.630 --> 00:00:37.409 it will make sense. I hope it does. Because we're 00:00:37.409 --> 00:00:41.009 going to understand something today. It's a question 00:00:41.009 --> 00:00:43.609 that the disciples posed to Jesus. Jesus, why 00:00:43.609 --> 00:00:45.590 are you only speaking in parables to these people 00:00:45.590 --> 00:00:47.810 and you don't give them the instruction? You're 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:49.590 not giving them the interpretation. Why are you 00:00:49.590 --> 00:00:52.829 doing that? So there's a lot of parables in chapter 00:00:52.829 --> 00:00:55.109 13. There's seven of them. So I thought it would 00:00:55.109 --> 00:00:57.530 be interesting to see what Jesus said. And then 00:00:57.530 --> 00:00:59.090 we'll go back and start looking at the parables. 00:01:00.750 --> 00:01:03.270 So let's look at verses 1 to 3, sets up the text, 00:01:03.390 --> 00:01:07.430 verses 10 to 17. On the same day, Jesus went 00:01:07.430 --> 00:01:09.469 out of the house, and he sat by the sea, he had 00:01:09.469 --> 00:01:12.390 been teaching, and great multitudes were gathered 00:01:12.390 --> 00:01:15.730 together to him, so that he got in a boat and 00:01:15.730 --> 00:01:19.290 sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:22.829 Then he spoke many things to them in parables. 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:25.650 There are seven, as I said. And the disciples 00:01:25.650 --> 00:01:29.349 came and said to him, Why do you speak to them 00:01:29.349 --> 00:01:33.280 in parables? He answered and said to them, Because 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:36.200 it has been given to you to know the mysteries 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:39.099 of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has 00:01:39.099 --> 00:01:43.680 not been given. For whoever has, to him more 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.680 will be given, and he will have abundance. But 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:50.739 whoever does not have, even what he has will 00:01:50.739 --> 00:01:53.959 be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.540 them in parables, because seeing they don't see, 00:01:57.700 --> 00:02:01.519 and hearing They don't understand. Or hearing 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.859 they do not hear. Nor do they understand. And 00:02:04.859 --> 00:02:07.400 in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:09.879 But what prophecy? The one that says hearing 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:12.300 you will hear and shall not understand. And seeing 00:02:12.300 --> 00:02:15.599 you will see and not perceive. For the hearts 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:18.719 of this people have grown dull. Their ears are 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.740 hard of hearing. And their eyes they have closed. 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:26.719 Lest they should see with their eyes. And hear 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:29.360 with their ears. lest they should understand 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.240 with their hearts in turn, so that I should heal 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:36.419 them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:42.000 and your ears, for they hear. For assuredly I 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.939 say to you that many prophets and righteous men 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:48.439 desired to see what you see and did not see it, 00:02:48.520 --> 00:02:51.960 and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. 00:02:53.180 --> 00:02:59.300 Let's ask God for his help this morning. Father, 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:01.500 we understand the weakness of our own flesh, 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:03.719 Lord, the inability that we have to understand 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:07.060 rightly the spiritual things that are only revealed. 00:03:08.699 --> 00:03:10.780 So this morning, Lord, I'm asking, God, that 00:03:10.780 --> 00:03:14.080 you would help me to be clear that, Lord, I would 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.639 be not only arrogant but foolish to think that 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:18.580 I could come in here, Lord, and affect change 00:03:18.580 --> 00:03:22.360 in the lives of your people. God, I'm asking, 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:25.759 Lord, for the help of the Holy Spirit of God 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:29.199 that you promised to give when we ask. And Father, 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:31.479 I'm asking for you to do what only you can do. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:34.620 There are some, perhaps, who've grown dull of 00:03:34.620 --> 00:03:37.340 hearing. They see, but they don't really see, 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:40.659 and they hear, but they don't understand. Lord, 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:42.599 there are some whose heart is cold and indifferent. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.960 Lord, I pray that you'd wake them up. God, do 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.699 effect change in their hearts. And then, Father, 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.599 I pray for your saints this morning, Lord, those 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:54.580 whose eyes have been opened and ears have been 00:03:54.580 --> 00:03:58.300 opened to understand the glorious gospel. Father, 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:01.120 I pray that they would glory in your grace and 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:04.219 exalt your Son. And it's in his name we pray. 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:11.280 Amen. Our text this morning raises a very profound 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.960 question. It's one that throughout history theologians 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.839 have debated and spoken about. Why do some people 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:24.139 respond to God, others don't? The Apostle Paul 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:26.730 said this, he said, that for some, there's the 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:29.410 fragrance of the gospel. The gospel has a smell, 00:04:29.449 --> 00:04:32.329 if you will. He's using that analogy. And he 00:04:32.329 --> 00:04:35.410 said, for some, the gospel is compelling. It's 00:04:35.410 --> 00:04:39.329 attractive. And yet for others, they find that 00:04:39.329 --> 00:04:43.629 same smell repugnant. It's obnoxious. It's off 00:04:43.629 --> 00:04:47.389 -putting. He said that in 2 Corinthians 2. He 00:04:47.389 --> 00:04:50.810 said, for we are to God, speaking of the apostles, 00:04:51.029 --> 00:04:54.850 the fragrance of Christ. And among those who 00:04:54.850 --> 00:04:58.170 are being saved and among those who are perishing. 00:04:59.089 --> 00:05:02.490 To the one where the aroma of death, leading 00:05:02.490 --> 00:05:06.430 to death. But to the other, the aroma of life, 00:05:06.529 --> 00:05:11.050 leading to life. Who is sufficient for these 00:05:11.050 --> 00:05:15.709 things? Paul said the gospel is like a fragrance, 00:05:15.769 --> 00:05:19.949 a perfume. And it smells wonderful to some. For 00:05:19.949 --> 00:05:23.860 to them it smells like life. Yet it's repulsive 00:05:23.860 --> 00:05:27.680 to others. For some, to them, it smells like 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:29.839 the stench of death, like an old rotting corpse. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.639 They would never want to go toward it. But the 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:36.220 question we are asking, why do some love the 00:05:36.220 --> 00:05:38.259 fragrance and others find that very same fragrance 00:05:38.259 --> 00:05:42.540 repulsive? Well, in verse 11 of Matthew 13, he 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:46.079 says, because it's been given to you to know 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.980 the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:54.160 them it's not been given. To some, the mystery 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:58.019 of the kingdom is revealed, and to others it 00:05:58.019 --> 00:06:03.139 remains concealed. Now on the surface, some think, 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:05.339 well this sounds harsh, as though God is being 00:06:05.339 --> 00:06:10.480 arbitrary and capricious. I mean, is God purposely 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.779 trying to keep people in the dark and away from 00:06:13.779 --> 00:06:19.120 the light? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. In 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:22.790 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul writing to Timothy, 00:06:22.889 --> 00:06:26.990 he said, For this is good and acceptable in the 00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:29.990 sight of God our Savior, who desires all men 00:06:29.990 --> 00:06:32.350 to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the 00:06:32.350 --> 00:06:34.550 truth. Now some will try to explain away. We 00:06:34.550 --> 00:06:37.529 don't need to. God desires men to be saved. He 00:06:37.529 --> 00:06:39.649 is light. He wants people to come to the truth. 00:06:41.269 --> 00:06:43.189 Ezekiel, the old covenant, we see the same thing. 00:06:43.490 --> 00:06:47.089 As I live, says the Lord God, Yahweh speaking, 00:06:47.329 --> 00:06:50.970 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 00:06:51.529 --> 00:06:54.589 But what do you take pleasure in? That the wicked 00:06:54.589 --> 00:06:59.310 turn from his way and live. Turn. Turn from your 00:06:59.310 --> 00:07:02.649 evil ways. For why should you die, O house of 00:07:02.649 --> 00:07:07.209 Israel? The Lord desires that people be saved. 00:07:07.790 --> 00:07:10.290 And he says he does not take pleasure in those 00:07:10.290 --> 00:07:13.870 who perish. We all know John 3 .16, but I think 00:07:13.870 --> 00:07:17.689 John 3 .17 is equally as glorious. For God did 00:07:17.689 --> 00:07:21.519 not send his son. Into the world to condemn the 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.879 world. It's not why he came. But rather that 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:28.180 the world through him might be saved. So God 00:07:28.180 --> 00:07:30.660 has sent his son on a mission. But the mission 00:07:30.660 --> 00:07:34.279 was not one of condemnation. His son was sent 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:37.160 on a rescue mission. He's come to seek and to 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.500 save the lost. So now as we go back to our text 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:43.879 in Matthew 13. Jesus is revealing a spiritual 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.899 principle. Those whose hearts were open to the 00:07:47.899 --> 00:07:52.540 truth. received more truth but those whose hearts 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:57.319 were hardened to the truth lost what little bit 00:07:57.319 --> 00:08:01.220 they even had so the takeaway this is if we don't 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:03.600 want to over diagnose anything but the takeaway 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.660 is this you must respond to the truth while the 00:08:06.660 --> 00:08:09.420 light is shining here's what jesus would say 00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:14.279 to us do not harden your heart it is possible 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:19.199 to hear the truth to see the light and harden 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:23.560 your heart against them. Look at Israel. It always 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.180 amazes me as we look back at Old Covenant Israel. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:30.139 They had the light of God's revelation, but they 00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:33.460 didn't act upon it. In Hebrews chapter 3, this 00:08:33.460 --> 00:08:37.120 is incredible. The writer says, therefore, as 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.600 the Holy Spirit says, today if you will hear 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:43.519 his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:45.600 rebellion. So it must be possible for you to 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:48.200 harden your heart. In the day of trial in the 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:50.879 wilderness, where your fathers tested me, they 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:56.179 tried me, they saw my works forty years. Therefore 00:08:56.179 --> 00:08:58.340 I was angry with that generation. Why was God 00:08:58.340 --> 00:09:00.879 angry? Keep reading. And I said, they always 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:03.360 go astray in their heart, and they have not known 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.460 my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:10.080 enter into my rest. We skip down to verse 19. 00:09:10.659 --> 00:09:13.159 So the bottom line, here's why God was angry. 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:17.000 They could not enter in because of unbelief. 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:19.960 Every time I read that, I think it is incredible 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:23.639 to me to think how that generation who came out 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:28.139 of Egypt died in unbelief. That's what the Bible 00:09:28.139 --> 00:09:32.159 says. Very clear. That generation. They died 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:34.580 in unbelief. How is that possible? I mean, think 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:37.659 of all that they witnessed firsthand. First of 00:09:37.659 --> 00:09:39.340 all, the great deliverance out of Egypt itself 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.759 with the death of the firstborn. The crossing 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:45.590 of the Red Sea. Then daily they had manna given 00:09:45.590 --> 00:09:48.309 to them from heaven. They're wandering in a wilderness, 00:09:48.490 --> 00:09:51.190 a desert wilderness. For 40 years, their shoes 00:09:51.190 --> 00:09:55.070 and their clothes never wore out. They saw Moses 00:09:55.070 --> 00:09:57.730 bring, God through Moses, bring water from a 00:09:57.730 --> 00:10:00.909 rock. They had the cloud by day leading them, 00:10:00.950 --> 00:10:04.289 the pillar of fire by night. And the Bible says 00:10:04.289 --> 00:10:09.700 that generation hardened their hearts. But it 00:10:09.700 --> 00:10:12.500 is equally incredible to me to think about the 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:16.059 generation who heard Jesus teach firsthand, saw 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:19.620 his miracles firsthand, and remained in unbelief. 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:23.039 With their very own eyes, they saw his miracles. 00:10:24.259 --> 00:10:26.679 And the Bible says they hardened their hearts. 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.120 Now, it's been a few weeks since we've been in 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:31.500 Matthew, so let's look at the context. So starting 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:34.500 in chapter 12, the Lord began to have conflicts 00:10:34.500 --> 00:10:37.620 with the religious leaders, particularly the 00:10:37.620 --> 00:10:41.370 Pharisees. It all began one day in a grain field 00:10:41.370 --> 00:10:45.750 with a dispute over what was appropriate to do 00:10:45.750 --> 00:10:49.090 on the Sabbath day. Well, that conflict continued 00:10:49.090 --> 00:10:51.850 that day where Jesus goes into the synagogue 00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:55.210 and he heals a man who had a deformed hand that 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:57.590 says withered hand. And he healed him. He made 00:10:57.590 --> 00:11:00.269 the man whole, but it was on the Sabbath day. 00:11:00.789 --> 00:11:02.990 Now at that point, the Pharisees who had just 00:11:02.990 --> 00:11:06.570 seen this great miracle, they assembled, they 00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:10.370 convened an assembly. and they determined to 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:12.370 have Jesus put to death formally. That's chapter 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:15.450 12. Their minds were made up. There's no way 00:11:15.450 --> 00:11:17.610 that Jesus could be the Messiah in their minds 00:11:17.610 --> 00:11:21.389 because he was a Sabbath breaker. Later, in the 00:11:21.389 --> 00:11:24.570 same context, Jesus heals another man. It's a 00:11:24.570 --> 00:11:27.090 demon -possessed man, but this man was both blind 00:11:27.090 --> 00:11:30.049 and mute. The Pharisees saw it. They didn't dispute 00:11:30.049 --> 00:11:33.049 that the man was healed, but they said that Jesus 00:11:33.049 --> 00:11:36.909 did this miracle by the power of Beelzebub, by 00:11:36.909 --> 00:11:40.000 the power of Satan. Their hearts were already 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:43.500 hardened. No amount of evidence was going to 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:46.539 change their minds. Now chapter 12 continues 00:11:46.539 --> 00:11:48.879 in the words teaching the people and he enters 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.279 into a house. Large crowds are there. Many inside 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:55.299 but many outside had gathered to hear and teach. 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.080 Which leads naturally into our text of chapter 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.740 13. On the same day, verse 1, Jesus went out 00:12:02.740 --> 00:12:05.539 of the house. And he sat by the sea. He's going 00:12:05.539 --> 00:12:08.159 to teach them. And it says great multitudes were 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:10.960 gathered to him, so much so that he got into 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.500 a boat and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:18.659 Okay, so get the picture here. The Lord leaves 00:12:18.659 --> 00:12:21.080 the house where he'd been teaching. He heads 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:24.940 to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. But the massive 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:26.740 crowds who were there at the house, both inside 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:29.879 and outside, they keep following him. Because 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:33.019 of Jesus' miracles, wherever he went, large crowds. 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:37.000 He always attracted a large crowd. Now, it wasn't 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:40.320 conducive for Jesus to stay on the shore because 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:42.259 he had too many people around him and no one 00:12:42.259 --> 00:12:44.799 could hear him or see him. So what does he do? 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:48.320 He gets into a boat with his disciples. They 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.340 go out a little bit and then everyone is standing 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:53.019 on the shore and Jesus is seated in the boat 00:12:53.019 --> 00:12:55.360 teaching because that's how a rabbi would have 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:00.059 taught, seated. Verse 3, it says, and he spoke 00:13:00.059 --> 00:13:04.919 many things to them in parables. Okay, many things. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:07.480 There's seven of them in chapter 13. From this 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:09.279 point forward, you're going to notice something 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.259 in Matthew's gospel. Whenever Jesus is speaking 00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:16.940 to the crowds, he will speak to them in parables. 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:20.360 Before chapters 1 through 12, when Jesus was 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:23.039 speaking to the crowds, he spoke to them in plain, 00:13:23.179 --> 00:13:25.879 straightforward language. Look at the Sermon 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:28.679 on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, and 7. But now, beginning 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.299 in verse 13, there's a break. He's going to use 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:33.820 veiled language. He's going to use parables. 00:13:33.899 --> 00:13:36.519 Now the word parable, it's interesting, it's 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:38.659 a compound word and it literally means to throw 00:13:38.659 --> 00:13:42.899 alongside or to place side by side. It's a juxtaposition. 00:13:43.740 --> 00:13:46.240 So when we think about a parable, which the Lord 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.639 often used, it was a juxtaposition of an earthly 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:53.919 story with divine truth. Now Lord willing, we'll 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:55.600 look at this parable next week, but most are 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.039 familiar with the parable of the soil or the 00:13:58.039 --> 00:14:01.179 sower, we call it. There are four types of soil 00:14:01.179 --> 00:14:03.759 in the parable of the sower and the seed. But 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.360 what do those four soils represent? It's not 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:08.379 about agriculture. That's the earthly illustration 00:14:08.379 --> 00:14:11.460 representing divine truth that the four soils 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:14.879 represent four different types of hearts and 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:19.259 their reception or response to the gospel. Now 00:14:19.259 --> 00:14:24.159 today, Jesus is being asked a question. Why do 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:28.039 you only speak to them in parables? That confused 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:31.330 the disciples. I mean, what's going on? You're 00:14:31.330 --> 00:14:33.549 speaking to them, but you're using cryptic speech. 00:14:34.970 --> 00:14:37.309 Why don't you just speak plainly to the crowds? 00:14:37.509 --> 00:14:39.970 Or, better yet, why don't you give them the interpretation 00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:44.509 just like you give to us? Verse 10. The disciples 00:14:44.509 --> 00:14:48.009 said to him, why? Why are you doing this? Now, 00:14:48.009 --> 00:14:50.370 Jesus had just given a parable, right? Verses 00:14:50.370 --> 00:14:53.850 1 through 9. The parable of the sower. But he 00:14:53.850 --> 00:14:57.309 stopped. He never gave the explanation to them. 00:14:58.449 --> 00:15:00.649 He never gives them any meanings. They don't 00:15:00.649 --> 00:15:02.490 know what it means at that point. They know that 00:15:02.490 --> 00:15:04.110 it's probably more than agriculture, but they 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:06.909 don't know what it means. And the disciples, 00:15:07.149 --> 00:15:08.970 they're confused. They're bewildered. And they 00:15:08.970 --> 00:15:11.690 say, well, Jesus, why are you doing that? Isn't 00:15:11.690 --> 00:15:13.669 the point of communication so that you speak 00:15:13.669 --> 00:15:16.909 so that your audience understands? I mean, don't 00:15:16.909 --> 00:15:19.330 you want them to know? Well, that was a good 00:15:19.330 --> 00:15:22.570 question. I mean, usually a speaker is not going 00:15:22.570 --> 00:15:25.450 to use veiled language. He doesn't want to confuse 00:15:25.450 --> 00:15:28.919 his audience. So why are you doing that? Well, 00:15:28.940 --> 00:15:33.039 Jesus answered in verse 11. He said to them, 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:37.840 because it has been given, didomi, it's been 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:42.919 granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:47.860 But to them it's not been granted. He spoke to 00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:51.820 the crowds in parables because it wasn't given 00:15:51.820 --> 00:15:57.159 to them to understand the mystery. Why not? Well, 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.759 first of all, they were being judged for their 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:04.860 unbelief. Week after week, month after month, 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:09.580 Jesus had plainly taught these people about him 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:13.620 and the nature of his kingdom. But they rejected 00:16:13.620 --> 00:16:16.700 the truth. They hardened it. They remained in 00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:21.580 unbelief after so much revelation had been given 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:23.860 to them. You say, well, they were following him. 00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:25.620 Yeah, that's absolutely true. They were following 00:16:25.620 --> 00:16:29.169 him. But as John 6 tells us, they were following 00:16:29.169 --> 00:16:31.789 him because of the miracles and how they may 00:16:31.789 --> 00:16:36.309 personally benefit. They saw Jesus as a meal 00:16:36.309 --> 00:16:38.669 ticket or they could ride on his coattails, if 00:16:38.669 --> 00:16:42.350 you will. So yeah, Jesus had already spoken plainly 00:16:42.350 --> 00:16:43.929 to these people about the nature of his kingdom 00:16:43.929 --> 00:16:47.669 and he backed up his teaching with powerful signs 00:16:47.669 --> 00:16:50.429 and miracles. These people had seen him with 00:16:50.429 --> 00:16:53.090 their eyes, heal the sick, give sight to the 00:16:53.090 --> 00:16:57.269 blind, hearing to the deaf, cleanse lepers. multiply 00:16:57.269 --> 00:17:01.490 fish and bread, cast out demons, raise the dead. 00:17:03.149 --> 00:17:08.809 But in spite of all of the evidence, these people 00:17:08.809 --> 00:17:12.329 remained in unbelief. And now they're being judged. 00:17:13.170 --> 00:17:18.269 The light of the gospel had shone brightly. They 00:17:18.269 --> 00:17:21.289 didn't receive it. So the light was taken away. 00:17:23.730 --> 00:17:28.150 expects a response to the truth. Because regardless 00:17:28.150 --> 00:17:30.430 of what preachers may tell you, the light does 00:17:30.430 --> 00:17:33.910 not always shine. Now listen to the words of 00:17:33.910 --> 00:17:39.809 Jesus in John 12. While you have the light, believe 00:17:39.809 --> 00:17:42.950 in the light that you may become sons of light. 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:46.289 These things Jesus spoke and departed and was 00:17:46.289 --> 00:17:50.670 hidden from them. But though he had done so many 00:17:50.670 --> 00:17:54.680 signs before them, They didn't believe in him. 00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:56.900 That's the parallel passage in John's Gospel 00:17:56.900 --> 00:18:02.319 about Matthew 13, by the way. Wow. Friends, God 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:07.759 will not be trifled with. He is the Almighty. 00:18:09.180 --> 00:18:13.079 You are to diligently seek after him as if you 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:15.980 were seeking for a hidden treasure. That ought 00:18:15.980 --> 00:18:17.759 to be how diligent you're seeking after God. 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:20.839 Proverbs 2 speaks about this in the beginning 00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:24.559 of verse 3. Yes, if you cry out for discernment 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:27.660 and lift up your voice for understanding, if 00:18:27.660 --> 00:18:30.740 you seek her as silver and search for her as 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:35.019 hidden treasures, then you'll understand the 00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:39.720 fear of the Lord. Then you'll find the knowledge 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:43.940 of God. Indifference toward the things of God 00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:49.420 is a grave sin. Jesus, look down, we'll get there 00:18:49.420 --> 00:18:51.660 in a few weeks, but in verse 44 of Matthew 13, 00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:54.640 he tells another parable, and he says, the kingdom 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:58.140 of heaven is like, it's like a treasure that's 00:18:58.140 --> 00:19:02.339 hidden in a field, which a man found, and he 00:19:02.339 --> 00:19:07.039 hid it. And for joy over it, he goes and he sells 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:12.569 all that he has and buys that one field. When 00:19:12.569 --> 00:19:16.490 you understand the value of God's kingdom and 00:19:16.490 --> 00:19:19.890 the value of the king, you become willing to 00:19:19.890 --> 00:19:25.950 give up everything and pursue it. The people 00:19:25.950 --> 00:19:30.329 to whom Jesus had spoken, they were indifferent. 00:19:31.009 --> 00:19:34.410 They closed their hearts. John 12 says they did 00:19:34.410 --> 00:19:39.109 not believe. They were apathetic, apathos, no 00:19:39.109 --> 00:19:42.079 feeling. So they're not searching, they're not 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:45.740 seeking, they're not responding. Instead, they're 00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:47.920 indifferent, but they want Jesus, but they want 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:51.500 Jesus how they can personally benefit. That's 00:19:51.500 --> 00:19:55.119 it. It's selfish. Chris Miller, in his commentary, 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:57.740 he says, Jesus speaks in parables concerning 00:19:57.740 --> 00:20:01.940 revelation because they have squandered what 00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:05.660 they've already received. He now refuses more 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:09.819 revelation to people. Who have ignored what he's 00:20:09.819 --> 00:20:12.420 already taught. Jesus said, don't cast your pearls 00:20:12.420 --> 00:20:16.440 before swine. They don't get it. So stop trying. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:23.359 Now whose fault was this? It's their fault. They 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:28.079 brought this upon themselves. Verse 12. For whoever 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:33.180 has, has what? Faith. To him more will be given, 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:36.559 and he will have an abundance. You get the king 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:39.579 and the kingdom and the whole caboodle. But whoever 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:41.480 does not have, does not have what? Does not have 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.819 faith. Even what he has will be taken away from 00:20:44.819 --> 00:20:48.619 him. So you look at the disciples. They were 00:20:48.619 --> 00:20:54.880 committed to Jesus as Messiah. Faith. Now we 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:57.319 know Judas, handpicked by God for a purpose, 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:00.359 was not a faith. But this resulted in their receiving 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:03.940 more knowledge of the kingdom. So the secrets 00:21:03.940 --> 00:21:05.880 or the mysteries, the mysterion, it's kind of 00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:08.539 like secret here, that would be revealed, it 00:21:08.539 --> 00:21:12.259 would be granted to them. But to the crowds, 00:21:12.299 --> 00:21:17.599 they rejected Jesus as Messiah. And as a result, 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:20.799 no more knowledge is going to be given to them. 00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:24.920 The truth is now hidden from them, which Jesus 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:26.940 said is why I'm speaking to them in parables 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:31.460 and not telling them the meaning. So the crowds 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.680 lost their opportunity to hear the truth of God 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.480 plainly taught, and that was God's judgment because 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.460 they should have believed already. And from this 00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:44.500 point, Matthew 13 on, Jesus will speak to the 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:47.000 crowds in parables. Now let me just say, this 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.960 is incredible wisdom on the part of Jesus as 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:52.680 well. Because the parable is going to serve as 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:55.960 a test. What if there were someone in the crowd 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:58.980 who was open to the truth, and they hear this 00:21:58.980 --> 00:22:02.579 parable, Well, they're going to seek and to search 00:22:02.579 --> 00:22:05.859 for the meaning until they find it. But if anyone 00:22:05.859 --> 00:22:10.039 was too lazy to seek for the meaning, well, that 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:12.500 showed they didn't have any real interest in 00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:17.900 the truth. Just spoon -feeding. Parables reveal 00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:20.599 truth to those who are seeking it sincerely, 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:24.799 but parables conceal truth to those who are lazy, 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:29.940 hostile, or indifferent to it. You don't get 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:33.619 to be indifferent toward God. St. John Chrysostom, 00:22:33.619 --> 00:22:36.299 he said this, that parables were given so that 00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:41.519 those who desire to learn may learn. But those 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:45.339 who are careless may remain ignorant. It's a 00:22:45.339 --> 00:22:48.460 test. Because some people are like, no big deal. 00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:51.339 So the crowds are being judged for their unbelief. 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:54.339 But now we have the disciples. Verse 11. He said, 00:22:54.380 --> 00:22:57.670 to you it's been given. Now the crowds, think 00:22:57.670 --> 00:22:59.829 of all they've seen, all they've heard, they 00:22:59.829 --> 00:23:02.690 should have fallen down on their faces before 00:23:02.690 --> 00:23:06.150 Jesus, acknowledging him as their Messiah, their 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:10.289 King, their Lord. But they didn't. And they're 00:23:10.289 --> 00:23:14.869 going to bear consequences. But, so they're responsible. 00:23:15.630 --> 00:23:18.769 On the other hand, Jesus gives a gift. He gives 00:23:18.769 --> 00:23:22.069 a gift to the disciples. He granted them, gifted 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:25.940 them. Again, dido me in Greek. He granted them 00:23:25.940 --> 00:23:29.200 the privilege of knowing the mysteries or secrets 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:34.519 of the kingdom. To understand the mysteries of 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:39.920 the kingdom of God is a gift from heaven. Jesus 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:42.480 clearly said so. He said, to you it has been 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:45.720 given, to you it has been granted. Now let me 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:47.759 just say this, because sometimes I get asked 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:51.720 these questions often. There is a lot, much I 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:55.269 can't understand and I can't explain. The Bible 00:23:55.269 --> 00:23:58.509 teaches twin truths, and you have to understand 00:23:58.509 --> 00:24:04.069 this. God is absolutely free and sovereign, and 00:24:04.069 --> 00:24:06.009 man is absolutely responsible for his decisions 00:24:06.009 --> 00:24:09.589 and not believing. Clearly, the crowds are being 00:24:09.589 --> 00:24:13.089 judged because they didn't believe when they 00:24:13.089 --> 00:24:15.349 should have believed. That's why they're getting 00:24:15.349 --> 00:24:18.460 judged. They should, with all the overwhelming 00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:21.119 evidence, they should have repented and placed 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.900 their faith in Christ. But the evidence was overwhelming. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:28.079 There was massive evidence for that. None of 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:30.299 those people on that day will ever stand before 00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:33.059 the judgment of God and say, Lord, I didn't believe 00:24:33.059 --> 00:24:37.140 because you didn't reveal it. That will not hold 00:24:37.140 --> 00:24:40.519 water. The text is clear. They're responsible. 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:43.259 They're responsible to believe and they will 00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:45.759 be judged for not doing so. But at the very same 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:49.200 time, Jesus said the disciples understand some 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:53.420 things because God granted them the knowledge 00:24:53.420 --> 00:24:56.160 to understand some things. See, the disciples 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:00.859 were not particularly clever or insightful. They 00:25:00.859 --> 00:25:05.240 were blessed. They were given a gift. I know, 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:09.400 I know with all that I have that the only reason 00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:12.480 any of us are here today sitting in this church 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.619 on this Lord's Day worshiping Jesus Christ is 00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:17.789 because the truth, Was revealed to us by the 00:25:17.789 --> 00:25:21.869 spirit of God. Absolutely that's true. The ability 00:25:21.869 --> 00:25:25.730 to see Jesus. As the all glorious king. Sent 00:25:25.730 --> 00:25:31.730 from God. That's a gift from heaven. You're like 00:25:31.730 --> 00:25:35.849 proven. Three chapters later. Jesus will ask 00:25:35.849 --> 00:25:38.670 the disciples. Who do men say that I am? And 00:25:38.670 --> 00:25:41.349 they start answering. But Peter makes that great 00:25:41.349 --> 00:25:44.869 confession in Matthew 16. Verse 16. Simon Peter. 00:25:46.599 --> 00:25:50.759 He answered and said, You are the Christ, the 00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:53.680 Son of the living God. Now it looks like Peter 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:57.039 is perceptive. I mean, is it really surprising 00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:59.440 that Peter understood who Jesus was? I mean, 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:01.539 after all, Peter had spent considerable time 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:04.920 with Jesus. Peter had witnessed the miracles 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:07.880 of Jesus up close and personal. And in fact, 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:11.259 Peter was granted by Jesus the ability to perform 00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:13.420 miracles themselves when they went out on their 00:26:13.420 --> 00:26:15.839 first preaching journey. So I'm thinking, or 00:26:15.839 --> 00:26:18.859 we think, of course Peter knew Jesus was the 00:26:18.859 --> 00:26:21.059 Christ, the son of the living God. How could 00:26:21.059 --> 00:26:24.539 he not have known? But that's not what Jesus 00:26:24.539 --> 00:26:29.460 said. Notice what Jesus said in verse 17. Jesus 00:26:29.460 --> 00:26:32.940 answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon, 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:38.839 son of Bar -Jonah, for flesh and blood has not 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:42.259 revealed this to you, but my Father who is in 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:45.940 heaven. Good answer, Peter. You answered well. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.819 But you didn't figure that out. Well, how does 00:26:50.819 --> 00:26:53.960 Peter know? You've been blessed, Peter. Because 00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:58.880 you understand who I am. Because my Father revealed 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:01.859 that truth to you. Now you say, how did the Father 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:04.599 do it? God did not whisper into Peter's ear the 00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:09.700 truth of Jesus' identity. No. Rather... In indiscernible, 00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:13.180 inscrutable ways, the Spirit of God worked in 00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:16.160 the heart of Peter to reveal that truth to him. 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:20.259 And that's a saying that happens to us today. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:24.039 God took away the blindness that was over Peter's 00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:30.980 heart and granted him knowledge of Christ. And 00:27:30.980 --> 00:27:34.720 had he not done so, Peter would have stayed in 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:38.559 the dark. Look at Judas. It's the same thing. 00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:42.099 And this is the way that any of us, the only 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:44.940 way that any of us ever come to understand who 00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:48.019 Jesus is, is the truth must be revealed to us. 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:51.000 Now, yes, I can teach my children who Jesus is, 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:53.460 and they can answer in an orthodox manner, Jesus 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:55.480 is the son of the living God, he's the Christ, 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:58.099 he's the Messiah, but that won't resonate with 00:27:58.099 --> 00:28:00.059 truth in their hearts unless the spirit of God 00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:04.740 works in their heart. We are followers of Christ. 00:28:05.549 --> 00:28:09.789 Because God in his grace opened the hearts that 00:28:09.789 --> 00:28:14.990 were once dark and hard, and he showed us the 00:28:14.990 --> 00:28:19.329 truth. So man is responsible. These people should 00:28:19.329 --> 00:28:21.609 have believed. That's why they're being judged. 00:28:22.410 --> 00:28:25.390 The God of sovereign. Now remember the original 00:28:25.390 --> 00:28:26.750 question. They're like, why are you speaking 00:28:26.750 --> 00:28:28.809 in parables? And Jesus said, well, first, it's 00:28:28.809 --> 00:28:31.410 not given to them. It's a sign of judgment. But 00:28:31.410 --> 00:28:33.289 he said, secondly, it's also a fulfillment of 00:28:33.289 --> 00:28:36.289 prophecy. And this is incredible here. He said, 00:28:36.309 --> 00:28:38.390 the reason I'm speaking to these people in parables 00:28:38.390 --> 00:28:41.950 is to fulfill Isaiah 6. Now, Isaiah, look at 00:28:41.950 --> 00:28:44.930 verses 13 to 15. He said, and he quotes Isaiah 00:28:44.930 --> 00:28:46.490 6 here. I'm not going to take the time to read 00:28:46.490 --> 00:28:49.390 it. So he's quoting Isaiah chapter 6, verses 00:28:49.390 --> 00:28:52.130 9 and 10. Now, Isaiah 6 ought to be going ding, 00:28:52.150 --> 00:28:54.490 ding, ding in your mind right now because that's 00:28:54.490 --> 00:28:56.630 probably the most famous chapter in Isaiah outside 00:28:56.630 --> 00:29:00.250 of 53. In Isaiah 6, that's when the prophet Isaiah, 00:29:00.450 --> 00:29:04.730 he sees the Lord high and lifted up. We sang 00:29:04.730 --> 00:29:07.450 about it with holy, holy, holy. So let's turn 00:29:07.450 --> 00:29:10.990 to Isaiah 6. This is what Jesus is referencing. 00:29:12.470 --> 00:29:15.490 In the year that King Uzziah died, I, Isaiah, 00:29:15.670 --> 00:29:18.509 saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted 00:29:18.509 --> 00:29:20.930 up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 00:29:21.690 --> 00:29:25.410 Above it stood seraphim, seraphim. Each one had 00:29:25.410 --> 00:29:28.250 six wings. With two he covered his face, and 00:29:28.250 --> 00:29:31.349 with two his feet, and with two he flew. And 00:29:31.349 --> 00:29:34.500 one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy 00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:40.259 is the Lord, is Yahweh of hosts. The whole earth 00:29:40.259 --> 00:29:43.279 is full of his glory. And the post of the door 00:29:43.279 --> 00:29:45.079 was shaken by the voice of him who cried out, 00:29:45.140 --> 00:29:47.640 and the house was filled with smoke. So now in 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:50.559 the blazing light of God's glory, Isaiah understood 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:53.299 something about himself. He understood that he 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:55.680 was unclean. He understood that he was defiled. 00:29:55.700 --> 00:29:58.700 And he was unraveling at the seams is the picture. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:01.700 And he pronounces a woe upon himself. Look at 00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:08.079 verse 5. So I said, woe is me. I'm undone. Because 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:10.599 I am a man of unclean lips. And I dwell in the 00:30:10.599 --> 00:30:13.960 midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes 00:30:13.960 --> 00:30:17.460 have seen the king, the Lord Yahweh of hosts. 00:30:17.859 --> 00:30:20.579 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in 00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:23.200 his hand a live coal, which he had taken with 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:25.660 tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth. 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:28.640 And he said, behold, this has touched your lips. 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:34.170 Your iniquity has taken away. Your sin, Isaiah, 00:30:34.170 --> 00:30:37.150 is purged. Isaiah's a new man. He's forgiven. 00:30:37.329 --> 00:30:39.410 He's cleansed of his sin. And he wants to give 00:30:39.410 --> 00:30:41.130 himself completely to the Lord. Look at verse 00:30:41.130 --> 00:30:43.490 8. So I also heard the voice of the Lord saying, 00:30:43.750 --> 00:30:47.210 Whom shall I send and who will go for us? That's 00:30:47.210 --> 00:30:49.289 that famous missionary verse that we have at 00:30:49.289 --> 00:30:52.410 mission conferences. And I said, Here am I. Send 00:30:52.410 --> 00:30:55.609 me. I mean, it's great ingratitude. Isaiah wants 00:30:55.609 --> 00:30:58.029 to dedicate himself, consecrate himself to the 00:30:58.029 --> 00:31:00.630 Lord's use. So when God asks for someone, go. 00:31:00.990 --> 00:31:04.329 preach to the people. Isaiah said, I'll go. Now 00:31:04.329 --> 00:31:07.069 we come to the text. Great, Isaiah. I'm going 00:31:07.069 --> 00:31:09.529 to send you. What am I going to preach, Lord? 00:31:10.190 --> 00:31:14.430 Look at verses 9 and 10. Go and tell this people. 00:31:14.990 --> 00:31:18.589 Keep on hearing, but don't understand. Keep on 00:31:18.589 --> 00:31:21.930 seeing, but don't perceive. Make the heart of 00:31:21.930 --> 00:31:25.990 this people dull and their ears heavy and shut 00:31:25.990 --> 00:31:29.009 their eyes. So that they don't see with their 00:31:29.009 --> 00:31:30.829 eyes and hear with their ears and understand 00:31:30.829 --> 00:31:34.970 with their heart and return and be healed. What? 00:31:36.009 --> 00:31:37.869 Go preach a message that they're not going to 00:31:37.869 --> 00:31:39.430 understand that they won't have any interest 00:31:39.430 --> 00:31:43.650 in whatsoever. Why? This is a judgment on the 00:31:43.650 --> 00:31:46.509 people of Isaiah's time. Their hearts had grown 00:31:46.509 --> 00:31:49.130 hard toward the Lord. And he said, Isaiah, I 00:31:49.130 --> 00:31:50.769 want you to go preach to them and make their 00:31:50.769 --> 00:31:54.230 hearts even harder. He said, go preach a message, 00:31:54.250 --> 00:31:57.789 but make sure it's dull enough. So that their 00:31:57.789 --> 00:32:00.869 hearts will become more hard, their eyes will 00:32:00.869 --> 00:32:03.690 become so heavy, and their ears will not hear. 00:32:03.990 --> 00:32:05.910 Well, why don't you want them to see or hear? 00:32:07.349 --> 00:32:09.029 Why don't you want them to understand, Lord? 00:32:10.690 --> 00:32:13.650 So they don't return and get healed. So they 00:32:13.650 --> 00:32:18.089 don't repent. Look at the text. And Jesus said 00:32:18.089 --> 00:32:22.319 that prophecy is fulfilled in him. John 12, I 00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:24.660 quoted earlier, but notice the full context. 00:32:24.740 --> 00:32:26.940 This is the parallel passage, and I hope this 00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:30.319 makes sense to you. But although he had done 00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:33.640 so many signs before him, before them, excuse 00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:39.519 me, they didn't believe in him. Therefore, get 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:48.099 this, they could not believe because Isaiah said 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:52.019 again, verse 40, He has blinded their eyes and 00:32:52.019 --> 00:32:54.500 hardened their hearts, lest they should see with 00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:56.480 their eyes, lest they should understand with 00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:59.019 their hearts and turn, so that I should heal 00:32:59.019 --> 00:33:02.779 them. They couldn't believe. God decided to bring 00:33:02.779 --> 00:33:05.440 judgment upon the people, and he hardened their 00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:09.099 hearts to the truth. So now, God in human form, 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:12.079 Jesus, the God incarnate, he will only speak 00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:14.440 in parables because he's fulfilling the prophecy 00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:16.880 of Isaiah 6, 9, and 10. And he said, but the 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:18.119 people had already hardened their hearts. Yeah, 00:33:18.180 --> 00:33:20.869 and this is your judgment. They won't believe. 00:33:22.170 --> 00:33:24.809 They had heard Jesus' teaching. They had heard 00:33:24.809 --> 00:33:27.009 or seen the miracles that he had, but they didn't 00:33:27.009 --> 00:33:28.710 believe. So God says, I'm going to speak to them 00:33:28.710 --> 00:33:31.690 in language they won't understand. So you're 00:33:31.690 --> 00:33:33.450 saying, well, what kept people from embracing 00:33:33.450 --> 00:33:37.170 the truth? Was God keeping them at bay? Was God 00:33:37.170 --> 00:33:41.430 stiff -arming them? No, not at all. These people 00:33:41.430 --> 00:33:43.690 were blessed. They had tremendous light and tremendous 00:33:43.690 --> 00:33:46.230 revelation. So what kept them from the truth? 00:33:47.589 --> 00:33:53.269 Their cold, hard, unbelieving hearts. Don't miss 00:33:53.269 --> 00:33:55.750 it. We're closing here in a minute. Man's deepest 00:33:55.750 --> 00:33:59.410 problem lies within him. Where? In his heart. 00:34:00.609 --> 00:34:03.329 Because of our sin nature, because of our sin, 00:34:03.490 --> 00:34:07.089 our hearts, listen, are naturally unresponsive 00:34:07.089 --> 00:34:12.489 to God's truth. So we need new hearts. Jesus 00:34:12.489 --> 00:34:16.340 said in John 3, we need to be born again. Your 00:34:16.340 --> 00:34:18.739 heart and mine are so hard that unless the Spirit 00:34:18.739 --> 00:34:20.519 of God grants us understanding, we will just 00:34:20.519 --> 00:34:23.260 stay in the dark. And like it that way, by the 00:34:23.260 --> 00:34:26.340 way. And then lastly, our Lord reminded the disciples 00:34:26.340 --> 00:34:28.679 of how blessed they really were. The final two 00:34:28.679 --> 00:34:30.519 verses there, he said, But blessed are your eyes, 00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:33.300 why, they do see, and your hearts, for they hear. 00:34:34.199 --> 00:34:36.219 For I tell you, many prophets and righteous men 00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:38.119 desired to see what you see and hear, but they 00:34:38.119 --> 00:34:42.199 weren't able to do it. Man, these disciples enjoyed 00:34:42.199 --> 00:34:45.119 an incredible position, incredible clarity and 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:47.900 understanding far beyond anything the Old Testament 00:34:47.900 --> 00:34:50.480 prophets ever had. So the Old Testament prophets, 00:34:50.619 --> 00:34:52.800 they foretold of Christ. They knew something 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:55.099 about it. But these 12 men, they walked with 00:34:55.099 --> 00:34:58.019 Christ. They ate with Christ. And they worshipped 00:34:58.019 --> 00:35:01.000 him. You have great patriarchs, men like Abraham 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:04.800 and Isaac and Jacob, Moses and David and Isaiah. 00:35:05.079 --> 00:35:09.039 They all looked by faith to the future. When 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:12.480 are these promises going to be fulfilled? And 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:15.340 they all died in faith, never seeing them fulfilled. 00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:21.400 But these 12 men were blessed because God privileged 00:35:21.400 --> 00:35:24.079 them to learn from the promised one himself, 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:27.440 and they also saw the promises of God come to 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:31.460 fruition. Yes, they were blessed. They had seen 00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:33.900 what many righteous men and prophets waited to 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:37.519 see for so long and were never able to see. So 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:43.400 now we close. Now what? I close as I begin. Two 00:35:43.400 --> 00:35:46.699 people can smell the same fragrance and one will 00:35:46.699 --> 00:35:48.380 find it intoxicating, the other will find it 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:52.460 revolting. Two people can hear the same message 00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:54.300 on a Sunday morning. One will walk away changed, 00:35:54.579 --> 00:35:56.719 the other will walk away the same as he came 00:35:56.719 --> 00:36:00.059 in. Jesus said some people can see, but they 00:36:00.059 --> 00:36:02.619 don't really perceive. He said they hear, but 00:36:02.619 --> 00:36:05.639 they don't really understand. So the danger that 00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:07.699 I feel today is there is danger that you can 00:36:07.699 --> 00:36:10.340 be exposed to the truth and not be changed by 00:36:10.340 --> 00:36:14.119 the truth. So I leave you with the words of Jesus 00:36:14.119 --> 00:36:18.519 and not mine. Jesus said in John 12, verse 36, 00:36:19.480 --> 00:36:25.420 while you have the light, believe in the light 00:36:25.420 --> 00:36:30.679 that you may become sons of light. Today, if 00:36:30.679 --> 00:36:33.500 you want the truth, you pray. Seek after God. 00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:36.159 If you're serious, you'll do it. Ask him to open 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:38.559 your eyes. Ask him to open your heart to the 00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:42.300 gospel. He who has ears to hear, Jesus said, 00:36:42.420 --> 00:36:46.079 let him hear. Pray that you are numbered among 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:48.960 those who have ears to hear and understand the 00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:52.460 mysteries of his kingdom. God is gracious and 00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:55.360 he will save if you will repent of your sin and 00:36:55.360 --> 00:36:58.579 place your faith in his son. Let's pray as we 00:36:58.579 --> 00:37:02.840 prepare to go to the table of the Lord. Father, 00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:04.940 I thank you for your word, Lord. I realize some 00:37:04.940 --> 00:37:07.699 things that are said are hard. We don't understand 00:37:07.699 --> 00:37:09.960 them. In our minds, we want to try to reason 00:37:09.960 --> 00:37:13.619 everything out. It's impossible. We don't know 00:37:13.619 --> 00:37:17.360 the mind of the Lord. Father, I know that we're 00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:20.099 responsible. We're responsible for our actions. 00:37:20.179 --> 00:37:21.719 We're responsible for our sin. We're responsible 00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:25.550 to believe upon Christ. And Lord, I pray that 00:37:25.550 --> 00:37:28.309 today, by your grace and through the working 00:37:28.309 --> 00:37:30.530 of your spirit, you will do just that. Awaken 00:37:30.530 --> 00:37:34.510 some who are in a stupor, Lord, who don't see. 00:37:35.809 --> 00:37:38.269 Awaken those who are even hostile to your gospel. 00:37:39.809 --> 00:37:42.710 Awaken them, Lord, to their dreadful condition 00:37:42.710 --> 00:37:47.369 of judgment and wrath. And show them the sweet 00:37:47.369 --> 00:37:50.750 Savior and salvation that belongs to all who 00:37:50.750 --> 00:37:53.809 will come to him. Lord, I pray for your saints 00:37:53.809 --> 00:37:55.670 today as we prepare to go to the table of the 00:37:55.670 --> 00:38:00.809 Lord. Lord, we rejoice in your grace because 00:38:00.809 --> 00:38:04.650 you have shown us the truth. You revealed Christ 00:38:04.650 --> 00:38:07.630 to us. And Lord, we get to commune with each 00:38:07.630 --> 00:38:11.409 other and with our risen Lord in the special 00:38:11.409 --> 00:38:14.309 manner that you have prescribed. All glory, all 00:38:14.309 --> 00:38:17.510 honor, all praise be to you, our gracious God 00:38:17.510 --> 00:38:20.150 and King. And we pray all these things in Jesus' 00:38:20.269 --> 00:38:23.159 name. Amen. Deacons, would you come and prepare 00:38:23.159 --> 00:38:23.539 the table?