Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19970202.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part X. Christ's Messianic Kingdom Postponed
L. Christ's Edification Of The Disciples In View Of His Rejection As King
10. Learning To Rely On The Authority Of God For Coming Opposition Conflicts
(Matthew 20:29-34)
  1. Introduction
    1. There are times when the believer is permitted by God the Father to face future spiritual opposition to their beliefs, ministries or efforts to do God's will.
    2. In view of these formidable challenges that can leave a believer groping for assurances about what he is all about and what is God's will for his life and ministry, God prepares him to be edified by giving him clear indications of God's AUTHORITATIVE will. Matthew 20:29-34 shows us how this works:
  2. Learning To Rely On The Authority Of God For Coming Opposition Conflicts, Mtt. 20:29-34.
    1. According to The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 67, the incident in Matthew's Gospel of the healing of the two blind men near Jericho was aimed at edifying the disciples for what they would need following the crisis of Christ's death.
    2. As they were thus going up to Jerusalem for the big showdown between Jesus and Jerusalem's religious leaders that would lead to His crucifixion, this incident revealed Christ's Messianic authority, Ibid.
      1. As Jesus departed Jericho en route to His passion and death in Jerusalem, two blind men sitting by the way cried out to Jesus as they heard He was passing by, Mtt. 20:29-30a.
      2. What they cried out was a Messianic address, calling Jesus "thou son of David," v. 30b, Ibid.
      3. They persisted calling Him by this Messianic title in spite of opposition to the contrary of those who were faithlessly offended at their referring to Jesus as Messiah, Mtt. 20:31.
      4. CONTRARY to the opposition rebukes of these blind men, Jesus ACCEPTED their address of Him as Messiah by stopping, calling them to Himself, and giving them their wish of receiving sight, 20:32-34. In so doing, Jesus was indicating that though the majority in Israel did not accept His identify and hence authority as the Messiah, He nevertheless WAS the authoritative Messiah to be believed and obeyed.
    3. As such, Jesus was setting the precedent for the disciples to continue believing and obeying Him as the Messiah in spite of His being rejected as such by Israel's religious leaders even to the point of their crucifying Him on the Cross of Calvary!
Lesson: Jesus Christ was setting the stage in this event for the disciples to be assured that He was the Messiah with all of God's authority behind that station and its ministry so that WHEN the opposition would put Him to death, these men would s till FOLLOW that conviction in their lives and ministries in spite of opposition to themselves to the contrary.

Application: (1) Before facing opposition to God's official will and office or calling for the believer, God will signal strongly HIS AUTHORITATIVE WILL as to his office, calling and purposes given him BY GOD so that the believer can continue doing the will of God though bitterly opposed by detractors in those matters. (2) If we find ourselves suddenly opposed as to our authority or right to do something we are attempting to do for God or to achieve God's will, CHECK DIVINE PRECEDENTS to see if God s et out beforehand CLEARLY His authoritative will. If we see that GOD allowed us ahead-of-time to be convinced we were in His authoritative will, take the opposition as something GOD wants us to stand AGAINST, and keep going. (3) On the other hand, if in c hecking precedents we find that we are doing what God has NOT thus sanctioned, repent. (4) If we are being given assurances now that God's AUTHORITATIVE will is to go in a certain direction or to do a certain thing, PREPARE for possible OPPOSITION to th at conviction: God may be giving us advance warning of the angelic conflict and is signalling us to get ready to PRESERVE our ORIGINAL stand, cf. 2 Timothy 3:14.