"What Do You Think About The Christ?" (The Last Week of Jesus, Part 6) - Frank Brancato

when Jesus asked those Pharisees, this question, Really

the question is a masterpiece about the identity and nature of

the Messiah? It occurs while those Pharisees

were still assembled before him and we find that there's a mark

shift now in what Jesus is saying, concerning his

messiahship, for example, early on throughout his ministry.

Jesus avoided open public Acclaim that he would be the

Messiah, but now things are different.

Now, things have changed in the last week of his life now You

know the Pharisees as they would be listening to the question

that Jesus would ask about the Messiah.

They would have known that this was not an academic or

theoretical inquiry but the Supreme question concerning his

own person. Brought us raise an interesting

point about asking this question and no doubt.

Everything Jesus says was absolutely brilliant.

Brought his said this about what Jesus says he said, Jesus is

actually defending himself against the charges.

Will be brought later to he on him in the week soon.

He will stand before the Sanhedrin for saying he is the

Christ. The son of God.

Thus his question might be aimed at establishing the fact that

the Messiah though descended from David cannot be just a mere

man. So here's the question.

Here's the passage before us. What do you think about the

Christ? You know, I think that's a very

relevant question. What do you think about the

Christ? I think it's relevant today.

To Jesus says, what do you think about the Christ and whose son

is he? Now those two questions are

these What do you think about the Christ and whose son is he?

Now they're going to respond, they're going to say the son of

David. Now, the question is this from

what Jewish family line was? The Messiah going to come.

Now, they all knew what the where the Messiah would come

from. They all knew that it would be

from the Royal lineage of David. In fact, every to understood

that they knew that and we would come after that after that

bloodline in In John chapter 7 verses 41 and 42 other said this

John 7:41

is the Christ but some said will the Christ come out of Galilee?

Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed

of David and from the town of Bethlehem where David was.

Another passage Luke chapter 1 verses 31 and 32 and behold you

Luke 1:31

will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call

his name. Jesus.

He will be great and he will be called the son of the highest

and the Lord God will give him the Throne of his father David.

That's why they answered the way that they answered in chapter 22

and verse 42. They said he is the son of

David. Well, the question is this

though? How will Israel then know which

of David's descendants would be the Messiah if God did not give

any other criteria? If it was just going to come

from the Fleshly blood line of David, there were many men, that

could have fallen into that category men like Solomon.

What about him? What about Hezekiah?

In other words, of all the men that followed, the fleshly

bloodline of David, there's got to be another criteria.

There's got to be something that's going to set that

Messiah, apart from all other descendants of David.

And the Lord is setting all this up, but Jesus not only fulfills

the human criteria. He also fulfills the Divine

criteria. Jesus is called the son of David

and he is also the Son of God. Now he is the son of David.

Meaning he meets the criteria of coming from the fleshly

bloodline of David showing this. That is the humanity of Jesus

Christ. Just like when the Bible says,

80 times in the Gospels, it calls Jesus, the son of man is

talking about the Messiah is talking about the human part of

the Messiah. He fulfills the Divine criteria

in that, he is the Son of God. He is both, and Jesus is the

Messiah because he fits all of that.

He is both the son of David and he is also the Son of God.

You know, what's interesting here, if you ever stopped to

consider these passages, The Pharisees were ejected him as

being the Messiah. No Doubt.

But they seem to accept his human lineage.

They never say that. He was not from the lineage of

David. And you know it's very

interesting. John MacArthur wrote this about

this in his commentary on Matthew.

I think it's interesting. He said it is therefore certain

that the authorities had carefully checked Jesus

genealogy and discovered that his descent from David was

legitimate. Otherwise they would have simply

exposed him as having no claim to davidic Heritage and all

discussion about his possible. Messiahship would have ended.

You know what I read, I read that before the destruction of

Jerusalem in ad 70, they kept absolutely meticulous records

regarding all of their lineage regarding their Heritage and you

know, where was kept. It was kept in the temple.

You know what that means? That means you don't have to go

online and try to figure out where you came from, you know,

that all that Heritage stuff today.

Yeah. You don't even have to do that,

you're a Jew. All you have to do is go to the

records and the records were kept before ad 70.

Before the destruction of Jerusalem, and they were kept

meticulously right there in the temple.

So no doubt, they didn't, they didn't doubt that Jesus would

have fallen suit or falling into the Royal bloodline of David.

They just recognized him being the Messiah.

So, in verse 43, He said to them, how then does David in his

Spirit. Call him Lord.

Now what Jesus is going to do now is Jesus is going to

reflect, he's going to quote in just a moment.

He's going to make a direct quote, from Psalm 110, and verse

number one. So what he's showing is this?

Yes, David was the fleshly bloodline but he said this Jesus

says how say to them does David? In the spirit inspired by the

Holy Spirit, the psalmist, David call him Lord himself.

How does he call him? Lord himself?

David calls the Messiah, his Lord and such language can only

intimate. One thing that David thinks the

Messiah is greater than he is. That the Messiah is greater than

David. But how can the Messiah, be both

David's descendant and David's, Lord, at the same time, how can

the, to be compatible? Unless the Messiah is God, man

or God In the Flesh? No doubt.

And that's the next verse. This is what David said, Dave,

the Lord said to my Lord, Lord sit on my right hand until I

make your enemies your footstool.

You know, this is a direct quote, from Psalm 110 and burst

of one And I gotta tell you the English reader looks to these

two words here. Lord here.

And Lord here, it may seem confusing but it's not confusing

at all back. You know what they're different

works. The first word.

Lord here, there's Davis. Psalmist.

David divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Psalm, 110 verse 1. He says the word Lord.

Psalms 110:1

That word is the Hebrew equivalent to the Hebrew word.

Jehovah or Yahweh. That's the name of God.

That's God's name. What he's saying is David is

saying there's two people. There's two beings that are

greater than I am. The first one is Lord being

Yahweh or Jehovah. Ava.

And incidentally, did you know that in the English translation?

It renders the word, Lord, and all capitals.

And there was a reason for that. The Jews felt like God's name

was so great that they could not call him Jehovah.

It could not call him Yahweh. They couldn't say his name.

So, you know what they did. They called him Lord, all

capitals. That's the first Lord.

What about the second one? Do you remember?

Hearing me, say, over the years? I know you've heard it cuz I say

it a lot. When Jesus would talk to people

in his personal Ministry and they call him Lord, like the

scribes said, Lord, I will follow you anywhere you go.

And you've heard me say over and over and over.

That is not mean does not mean that they accepted him as Lord

and Savior. It's the word d-des Kalos.

It's a term of respect, but they're not saying he's the Lord

and what that means is translated in three English

words, Master teacher or Lord. Okay, that's not this word.

This word is the name for Jesus. This word here is the word at An

eye and it means Master. It means one above another, you

know what David said, the psalmist.

David in Psalm, 110 and verse 1. He said God said to Jesus sit on

my right hand And Jesus would triumph over all of it over

everything. Where's Jesus today.

Oh, he's on the right hand of the Throne of God, he is sitting

on his throne, he is reigning over his kingdom and the kingdom

is the church, you know, it's going to happen when it's all

over with. He's going to take the kingdom

and hand it back over to Jehovah, Yahweh, God Of Heaven,

God the Father. When it's all said and done.

So, We're talking about. David.

And David is not as great as Jesus, and Jesus being the

descendant of David is still greater than David.

But the question is this, how could the Messiah be David's

son? And also be at the same time?

Be David's Lord, if then David to Jesus says, if David then

calls him Lord. How is he his son?

Now it's incidentally here he doesn't save.

How is the Messiah? David's Lord but he Saying, how

is the Messiah, David's son, Jesus.

Now, return to humanity of the Messiah.

The Jews believe that the Messiah would come from the

Royal bloodline of David. So, in other words, here's the

problem. If David was in the flesh, then

the Messiah would also be in the flesh and they didn't see past

that at all. Do you remember when they came

into Jerusalem? Do you remember when they did

that? And they were on that long road

into Jerusalem, perhaps coming from Jericho before the Passover

You're stopped to consider, how many people were following Jesus

because they thought he was going to establish Earthly

Kingdom. Remember when Jesus was asked

questions, like, when are you going to establish the kingdom?

And, and where am I going to be in that Kingdom?

Not understanding that? Jesus was not talking about a

fleshly Earthly Kingdom, how many people follow Jesus?

Because they thought the whole thing was going to be just a

matter of In the Flesh that he would establish his kingdom in

the flesh. Well, In Psalm 110 and verse 1,

David called the Messiah, his Lord, he recognized the Messiah

as deity. And the only way that Jesus or

the Messiah can be both deity and man, Is if deity came from

Heaven to be that. John 3:16 for God.

John 3:16

So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that

whosoever believeth on him. Should not perish, but have

everlasting life. John chapter 1, says in the

John 1 · chapter mention

beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word

was God, the same was in the beginning with God, all things

were made by him and without him was not anything made that was

made. And in verse 14, it says and the

word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his

glory, the glory, as of the only begotten of the father full of

grace and truth. Are you getting the point?

They understood the fleshly lineage, but Jesus had to talk

about deity. Now he had to talk about the

deity part of the Messiah, and the only way that that can

happen is when God, the son came from Heaven to be all of that.

Now, I'm going to tell you, how many times did Jesus answer

questions? And people stood there with

their mouths open? Or stood there in dead silence,

not saying a word. Just staring.

Just staring, you know what happened?

And no one was able to answer him a word nor from that day.

Did anyone dare question him anymore?

That is the ultimate, they had nothing to say.

They had absolutely nothing to say one.

Scholar said, the silence must have been deafening as the Lord.

Spoke those words. Once again the young Rabbi From

Galilee destroys all of their expectations about the Messiah

destroyed it all And they were silent.

But, you know, instead of submitting to the Divine word

that the Lord was speaking, they just retreated in silence and I

got to tell you that happens even today.

That happens even today. People hear the truth of the

word of God, but then they just do nothing and depart in

silence. In other words, not being moved

by the word of God. There they hear it but it

doesn't change anything in their heart.

Nothing at all. They hear what Jesus has done

for the world for the sins of the world for their sins

personally, but it has no effect.

And they just go away in silence.

I think that happens today a lot.

Happened then to and we're not talking about ordinary, folks.

We're talking about the religious elite were talking

about the most religious people in the world.

Know what they did said, nothing and left in silence.

Matthew's account says this, no one asked any more questions as

their own moral poverty have been exposed.

Their professional incompetence was made manifest and now it was

time to go and they rejected him and the rejection and silence

was louder than words but to others, that were Present, their

response was very different. I got to say this really quickly

and I promise not spend a long time on.

Just give me a minute. Remember, in John chapter 8,

John 8 · chapter mention

when Jesus told the most religious people in the world

they're going to die in their sins.

He said where I'm going you can't go he said you're gonna

die in your sins but they didn't get it.

They didn't get it. What about the other people

though? There were other people that

were listening to that great sermon by the greatest preacher,

the world ever knew and they believed it said, many others

believed. So This is speaking to those

people and the religious Elite, and they rejected Christ and

Jesus says, you're not going to heaven, I'm going.

You can die in your sins but others believed, guess?

What? Same thing happened here.

Look at this. Let's go to Mark's account.

Now, I love this. Therefore, David himself, calls

him, Lord, how is he his son? Now, the phrase common people

can be misleading. If you look at the two words,

common people in our English language.

I'm going to tell you what went through my mind a little bit

before I actually looked up the words, what went through my

mind, I'm trying to think of maybe the.

I don't know either. Not so smart, folks.

Where they did not say wealthy folks.

Are they just? I mean, what is it?

Who falls into the category of common people to words in the

original. And this is what it means.

Translated common people in this translation.

But it literally means this, it means a huge crowd or a great

multitude. So Jesus is speaking to the

Pharisees and they to return and they depart in silence.

But when they heard a huge crowd, a great, great multitude,

heard the word heard, the Lord gladly You know, at the end of

his ministry was quite similar to the beginning of his

ministry. When there were many, that would

follow Jesus. Plumber said this, they like the

freshness of the method and the skill in which he answered

questions, they, perhaps enjoyed hearing the professional

teachers routed, and some may have appreciated their spiritual

strength of his instruction. So he's talking and guess what?

Great multitudes are listening and they're hearing him, gladly

and you know what? This is what he says, then.

He said to them in his teaching that phrase means this in the

course of his teaching, he said now get that It was a day of

questions, he shut them all down Pharisees Sadducees herodians,

scribes all of them, right? He keeps on preaching.

He just kept on preaching and in the course of his teaching, you

know what he said. Oh, by the way, beware of the

scribes. Why would he say that Beware of

the scribes, as he's preaching, this great sermon.

He points out that outwardly, they're very different

outwardly. They look important but

inwardly, they're bankrupt their corrupt.

And may, I say that if a p, if a person is or persons weighing

his importance based upon his outer, garments the uniform, he

wears the title that he has the name that he goes by, By

whatever it is, that is very superficial.

That is very artificial and true importance.

Like one scholar said, can only be measured by a man's character

character, determines your importance.

I'm gonna tell you could be a person of character characters,

everything and may I say character is tested when you're

up against it. If you want to know what kind of

character you have, if you're tested and you're up against it,

that's the character that you have.

That's you. That's me.

These guys not so much not so much, these scribes, they were

arrogant, selfish, insincere, and dishonest, and then Jesus

list, six items that reveal evil tendencies in them.

You know what, the first one was they desire to go around in Long

robes, what's the big deal? Well, we know that outer

garments were called tunics the Lord, for example, and his

disciples they would have had a A shorter outer garment, then

these long robes, in fact, that's what people wore, if

you're a average person, regular guy, he wore a regular tunic.

These guys they wanted to go around first of all with a

desire to have a long robe, you know who wore the long robes,

the ones that wore the long robes were Kings and Priests and

the road went all the way to their feet.

But notice it goes further, they desire to go around.

You know what history tells us about them, they would go up and

down the streets of Jerusalem like they're really somebody,

you've seen somebody like that perhaps with the arrogance and

conceit what in the world is think?

They're really somebody. And usually people that really

are somebody don't care if people think there's somebody

they just know they are and character determines that and

that's just what they are. Not these guys oh no they wanted

to go around with these long roads.

Looking like they're going to do something great.

Look at me, I'm an important guy.

And then Jesus goes further and he says this, they love long.

Greetings in the marketplaces. Now, this doesn't mean they like

to have people come up to him and say hello.

In fact, greetings in the new King James is translated

salutations in the Old King James.

You know what it means? It didn't mean, hey, how you

doing? Good to see you today.

It met this long-winded worldly compliments, that's what that

means. They went around with these long

roads in Jerusalem, like they're really somebody and they want to

belong compliments from other people.

They want a different titles and phrases to, you know what they

were. They were these.

Rabbi. Redbone.

I Abba. Now, there were times when Jesus

was called, Rabbi, you're a rabbi was what's a rabbi, a

rabbi is a Jewish scholar. That's a Jewish scholar Rabbi,

they wanted that title. You know what else they wanted?

They wanted this 12 and Jesus was called rabona.

I rabboni literally means Master teacher.

Now it's fitting that Jesus would be a scholar and it's

fitting. That Jesus would be the master

teacher. What about this?

They even wanted that. Do you know what ABBA is?

It is an intimate phrase or an intimate word for God?

They even wanted that Jesus says, beware of those guys that

go Oh around in these long robes they want to be called all this

stuff in the marketplace, beware of them.

But it gets worse. You know what else they wanted?

They wanted the best seats in the synagogues.

The best seats in the synagogues.

You know, I read that the best seats in the synagogues were the

chief seats. And it was a place where it was

located at the Jerusalem end of the building, okay?

And at the Jerusalem, end of the building, there was an elevated

platform area. You know, who stood on the

platform, the scripture reader or prayer leader.

So where did they want to be? Now?

Keep this in mind, they wanted to have this position.

That means this, you got all the folks like you are right out

there sitting in your seats looking toward the platform

area. The elevated area for the

scripture reader in prayer leader.

Okay, you know where they wanted to be right here, right in front

of it, right? With their backs against the

platform and that was a picture or that was a place where you

put the dignified people. Now I have to share something

with you. In the Philippines.

I don't like it. It's uncomfortable.

And for 11 years. It's extremely uncomfortable.

Every time, I don't like it, but out of respect because they

consider the Americans that come with high esteem when we're

really nothing and they want to put us in that same spot facing

the audience. I got to tell you.

It's so uncomfortable that I always turn my chair.

I tried to turn my chair. So I'm looking at the speaker.

It was Dawn that to that time, not me.

I don't like sitting there. Okay, but there's a big

difference. They want us to go there where

the problem would be and we'd be guilty of the same thing as if

me and Don come rolling into know what we want the best

seats. Put us right here in the front.

That's what they wanted. That's what they insisted on.

By the way, I just say, say this as a, as a side with that, what

I always try to do what we try to do is get the Filipinos to go

with us and I'll sit up there. If they go with us, I'll do

that. I know problem with that, if

they go with us but that's just their way of showing respect.

Okay. That's a big difference in

somebody demanding it, what else, how about this?

How about the best places in the feast?

This is a place of honor at Banquets, in fact, that phrase

the places is Better translated Chief couches and it's talking

about this. Edersheim said this enter Sean

said according to the talmud, the chief guest lay in the

middle if there were three on a couch, if there were two, he lay

on the right side of the couch, Now you're talking about the

best seat, the best one. reclined with the, the person

that did the inviting And you know what they wanted?

They wanted the best seat. You know, James talks about

about that. He said don't do this.

Don't ever assign the best seat to the rich and leave some poor

man on the floor. He condemned that.

These scribes, you know, they did they demanded and wanted the

best places so what do they do? They came in, they wanted the

long robes. Look at me, look at me, look at

me, they wanted the title and the great greetings and

salutations they wanted that too.

They wanted to have the best seats, they wanted all the

greatest names. They wanted to go to the best,

the feast and have all this respect shown their way they

wanted all that. I'm going to tell you that's bad

enough but it doesn't stop there.

That's not the worst part all, that's bad enough.

But the lowest just getting started.

In fact, in Mark, chapter 12 and verse 40, you know what they

Mark 12 · chapter mention

did. And I got to tell you, this is

awful, they devour widows houses.

They devoured widows houses. You know, no doubt there was

women in the ministry of Jesus. That listen to his teaching and

follow Jesus and wanted to minister to him or serve him in

some way. There's no doubt in my mind.

That's exactly what they did for Jesus.

But there's also no doubt in my mind that they did that for the

scribes to just maybe I'm going to tell you something right now.

It's one thing to take advantage of somebody. and I know I'm

giving degrees here and I shouldn't but it is another

thing when you take advantage of a widow, A poor little lady.

And you take what's hearse? The scribes exploited their

generosity. In fact, widows are especially

targeted by the scribes Jesus does not explain specifically

how this is done. But in some way, the scribes

take advantage of these poor women and robbed them of their

support. And notice and for a pretence,

make long prayers. For a pretense for a show.

They offer long prayers. They pretended to pray long time

in order to gain influence over religious people.

I got to tell you something about long prayers, there's

nothing wrong with the long prayer, okay, nothing wrong with

that at all. When you pray from your heart

and you pray a long prayer, there's nothing wrong with that.

But the Jews back then and these specific scribes.

This is what they believed and plumber said this.

There was a rabbinical Saying that long prayers make for a

long life. Now when Jesus condemned long

prayers of the Pharisees, he was talking about men that wanted to

hear themself. They want to be known for their

much speaking, and they wanted to hear themselves talk. may I

just say a little thing here at and that's when we prayed the

public prayer. When the man's praise for the

congregation in the assembly, we are praying for everybody.

So we need things that are applicable for everybody, okay?

And we don't have to pray and especially long prayer.

You can just pray and get things covered and pray from the heart,

okay? A longer prayer does not mean a

better prayer. You know what they were doing,

though? Jesus put it all together.

Jesus said, they devoured widows houses and as a pretense

pretended to You get all the influence by pretending to pray

these long heartfelt prayers. Now.

The Amplified version. Renders it like this and I think

it's really true. I think these two things are

connected. I think the devouring widows

houses and making the long prayers are connected.

The Amplified Bible says that this way Who devour widows

houses and to cover it up. They make long prayers about

that. How about that?

You know what? Jesus says, not to tell you.

I had to really think about this.

I had to really study this, okay?

I really have to study this Jesus is going to sum it all up.

And if you look at the verse, you know what's coming, what

does he mean? All of these are going to do all

of this. They're going to receive greater

condemnation. Okay?

Now what does that mean? Does that mean that there's a

special spot in hell that is hotter than another spot?

No. No.

Does it mean that there is a secondary or even a worse place

for the really bad people? No, we know that there is only

one Lake of Fire. We know that and if a person is

lost their lost and there's only one Lake of Fire even though I

have said when somebody does something really bad to

somebody, I've even said it I confess, I said there must be a

special spot in hell for a person like that.

I've said that. Okay?

I don't read any of that anywhere.

You might say, no, wait a minute, preacher.

Wait a minute, what is it mean? When the Bible says it's worse

for someone that has been enlightened by the gospel has

lived as they should for a time but have quit the church and

gone back. The Bible says it's worse for

them than somebody. That didn't know and they were

just lost. Okay, what that means is this If

I quit, if I quit. And I quit the church.

And I go back to the world. And I am lost and I died in that

loss condition. You know, why it's worse for me?

Because I'm going to know for eternity.

I didn't have to be there. I'm going to know for an

eternity. That I had the truth and I

turned back. And do you know what?

I'm going to want more than anything in the world?

One more day. Just give me one more.

I'm going to get it right one. One more day.

What's it mean? The greater condemnation.

What's it talking about? Same, hell, same Lake of Fire

same place, right? Okay, this is the best way that

I can explain it. I hope it's clear.

Receiving the greater condemnation, doesn't mean that

the sentence is any worse than anybody else's sentence.

It's in the same place. Okay.

It's kind of like this though. Have you ever seen a judge

sentenced, two men to the same sentence?

Maybe one of them just fell into the three strikes Rule.

Now they got life in prison maybe because of carelessness or

whatever they did in the law states three strikes you're out

now you got life whatever and they get the same sentence as

some mass murderer creep. Still got life in prison, for

example. What's the difference when the

judge looks at that creep and tells them about what he did

when he looks at him and says, it's worse for you.

It's awful for you. Have you ever seen some one

judge ball? Somebody out as their sentencing

them? I have chew him out.

You no-good rotten. I mean, he's not adding to the

sentence. It is what it is.

Its life. But that guy is getting the

greater condemnation. In fact know what that word

means. Word means this condemnation

means it applies to the estimate that the Lord will place on the

wrong Deeds of these men. In other words, they're going to

be lost with all the others that are lost but the Lord in his

estimation is going to put a greater emphasis on what they

did. And by the way, Jesus will be

the judge. That's the only thing that makes

sense folks. That's the only thing that makes

sense. These scribes were using the

mask of religion to serve the devil.

They were doing that. they were doing that by saying, They were

taking advantage of those poor widows.

And for a pretence, make long prayers by way of influence.

And I'm going to tell you something, folks, there's a lot

of people in the religious world that are taking advantage of

people. It really is.

I wonder how many widows today, I wonder how many widows send

five dollars a month to some guy somewhere?

I just wonder. Or ten dollars.

And they get on their on TV, they pull at the heartstrings of

these wonderful wonderful ladies.

And they want to try to be a part of it so they send what

they've got. All the while. for a pretense

making long prayers, they take whatever they can get Jesus says

there's greater, They will receive a greater estimate of

what they've done and he calls it condemnation for doing just

that. All right, I'm finished today.

We are almost done with Tuesday, okay?

We got a little bit left on Tuesday and then we'll progress

through the rest of the week. Some powerful teaching.

The Lord has made all the way through.

On this particular day. Has been quite a day.

It's been quite a day. We'll talk about the next thing.

The next Ford's day. We thank you for listening to

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Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.