Archippus Awakening Kingdom101

Matthew 24:1-3 is about Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple, prompting the disciples' question about His coming. Although His disciples marvelled at the temple buildings, Jesus was not impressed at all. Reduced to just religion and rituals, the temple sorely missed God's original intent and the purposes of the kingdom. This teaching gets into some serious temple talk and ends with five key points for the Church as the God's temple today.

If your heart has ever ached for a loved one to know or return to the Lord, you will resonate deeply with the heart cry of Jesus in Matthew 23:37-39. As a hen gathers her chicks, the King longs to take His people under His wings, to have each one rightly aligned with Him. Sadly, not everyone wants what Jesus wants. Our personal choices today will determine how we finally greet Him when He comes again.

Would a loving and gracious Jesus pronounce a series of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees? Well, that was exactly what He did in Matthew 23:13-36. He had absolutely no choice but to warn them because things had already gone from bad to worse. And Jesus did what He did because He was loving and gracious. Henson takes us through the seven woes and shares seven reminders for kingdom leaders and people.

Jesus has many things to say about kingdom leadership; as well as to those who lead His kingdom people. For leaders, Matthew 23 must be the least favourite chapter and the hardest to stomach. That said, in Matthew 23:1-12, there is much to learn from the mistakes of the scribes and Pharisees so we know what to do – or as we will see from this teaching – what to do not do.

In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus asks His question and redirects everyone back to the main issue – Christ.The Pharisees knew the Scriptures extremely well. But when it came to acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, that was a totally different matter. Right answers may earn full marks but still not produce the right response. Henson shares pertinent pointers for personal processing.

Matthew 22:34-40 records the third round of questioning against the Jesus. However, unlike the previous two, Jesus' answer was totally consistent with the Pharisees' position about the greatest commandment. That said, agreement does not necessarily mean alignment. This teaching considers what it truly means to love God and love others so that we do not merely agree but also fully align with Jesus our King.

In Matthew 22:23-33, the Sadducees attempt to show that the resurrection is a ridiculous idea. But is it? What happens when we die? Is the end really the end? What if we think it is the end but it is not the end? Is there life after death? If so, how should we live before we die?

Is Matthew 22:15-22 just about money and taxes? Or is there something more than meets the eye? Trust Jesus to turn a malicious trap into another teaching moment. It is an object lesson about ownership from the image and inscription on a Roman coin. A lesson for now. And also for what is to come at the end of the age.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:1-14 is about two groups of people with two different responses to God's gracious invitation to His kingdom. Rejection of the invitation brings with it a dire consequence. Acceptance comes with a condition – to honour the dress code. This teaching considers what it means to dress right, to be rightly dressed for the kingdom party.

Matthew 21:33-46 is a parable about the expectation and inspection of fruit. It is also about the rejection of accountability as well as authority. Applied to Israel, both the leaders and the nation did not fare too well. As Jesus' kingdom community, how would the Church fare when the time comes for us to 'stand by fruit'? How would you fare?

In Matthew 21:28-32, the Parable of the Two Sons is simple and straightforward. That said, it is also surprising and shocking. On one hand, it focuses on doing. Yet, on the other hand, it seems to be about believing. Which is it? What exactly was Jesus telling the religious leaders? What is He saying to us as sons and daughters of God?

In Matthew 21:23-27, Jesus encounters the temple authorities who promptly questions His authority. In true rabbinic form, Jesus responds with His own question and catches them all by surprise. Not wishing to commit, they play the 'we-do-not-know' card. In Singlish, this is called 'acting blur'. Bad move. Especially when it comes to acknowledging Jesus' authority, don't act blur.

What do we make of Jesus' cursing of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22? It’s tempting to ignore such accounts and rationalise that He no longer does that. Or that such curses do not apply to us. On the contrary, the rarity of such incidents should highlight the seriousness of such pronouncements. While Jesus presents a warning against fruitlessness, He also provides the way to fruitfulness.

Matthew 21:12-17 presents a side of Jesus that many would not like to know or talk about – an angry Jesus who chases people out, overturns tables and upsets the leaders. We cannot imagine Him doing the same thing today. Would He? Could He?

What is peace to you? What would you do for peace? Matthew 21:1-11 describes Jesus' entry into Jerusalem amidst the festivities and celebration of the Passover season, At first glance, hardly a picture of peace. A deeper dive into the fulfilment of two OT passages will reveal the answer to the cry of every heart: Peace, please.

In Matthew 20, the account of Jesus healing two blind men seems a little out of place. Was it just about the two who finally get to see? Perhaps there is more than meets the eye. Henson takes a closer look at Matthew 20:29-34 and discovers lessons that will help us align with Jesus and His kingdom.

Strangely, amongst believers, there seems to be an aversion to the idea of greatness, as if it is wrong to desire significance in the kingdom of God. But is it? In Matthew 20:17-28, upon hearing Jesus' prediction about His death and resurrection, James and John requested for top positions. Instead of chiding them for having lofty ambitions, Jesus clarified the way to be great and first. Note the plus points in this teaching. Even so, don't miss the minus points.

If the rich young man left sad and empty, what can those who follow Jesus expect? That was Peter's burning question, "What's in it for me?" (And ours too.) Can we ask about rewards? Should we even be motivated by rewards? Jesus provides the answer. And then proceeds to explain – through the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard – how kingdom rewards are given and what is the right perspective to have. Surprise! Surprise!

In Matthew 19:16-26, after meeting the young man, Jesus mentioned to His disciples that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Is it still the same today as it was then? Or has it been made possible and easier now by simply believing in Jesus? Considering this passage in its context will reveal so much more than what we typically understand of this familiar account.

In Matthew 19:13-15, parents queued for Jesus to bless their children. The disciples rebuked them for disturbing Jesus. In turn, Jesus rebuked the disciples for missing the point. Again. But what exactly is the point? More than just lining up for a prayer of blessing, the King uses the little children to explain and show the right Q to get to Kingdom HQ. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.