High Five Celebration Sunday – Beholding the Wonders of Christ • 07.19.26
Nick Lees   -   July 19, 2026

Beholding the Wonders of Christ
Matthew 25-28

Marveling at Jesus and living for his glory

  1. Consider the depth of Jesus’ love
  2. Heed the power demonstrated at Jesus’ death and resurrection
  3. Fulfill your calling as an image-bearer of the One, True God

Manuscript:

 

Good morning, church family! Welcome guests, introduce self

Ushers + Bibles (Matthew 26; page 988)

Today we are doing something quite different than usual. Given that we just wrapped up High Five Camp, we thought it would be fitting to tie our Sunday sermon into the very things we learned this week with the kids. We had a wonderful time at the Wonder Junction beholding the wonders of Christ! Say that 5x fast. I thought it would be helpful to kick off our study today with a little review, especially for those who weren’t able to be there this week.

Each night of the week, we focused on a specific period and set of wonders from Jesus’ life. It began on Monday night with the wonder of Jesus’ birth. We learned that there were many amazing things surrounding the birth of Jesus:

  • The angel appearing to Mary and Joseph
  • The angelic host visiting the shepherd’s out in the field
  • The wise men and the special star that led them to the young Jesus
  • Most importantly, God the Son taking on human form and dwelling amongst us!

These were absolutely amazing events and truths surrounding the birth of the Savior. They helped us understand the significance of Jesus’ title Immanuel, which means… Kids, help me out here!  “God with us”. We learned that if we trust in God, he will always be with us and we are never alone. Jesus is the answer to our fears; he is the only true source of joy and satisfaction. He is the greatest treasure and the one we should live for!

But we didn’t stop there. On Tuesday, we observed the wonder of Jesus’ childhood. While there is not a lot recorded about these years, what we do know is spectacular:

  • Jesus was teaching the religious leaders at age 12
  • Jesus grew as a human in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man, while remaining fully God (mind-blowing!)

We learned because Jesus was fully human and went through childhood, he understands the temptations and hardships that kids and adults face! And he endured them without sin, so he can help us in our time of need. Therefore, we should trust Jesus and know that he cares about us and is willing to help us when we cry out to him.

Then on Wednesday, we learned about the wonder of Jesus’ ministry years. This is where things got even more exciting. We learned about Jesus’ power, specifically, his power:

  • Power over nature
    • Calming of the sea; Feeding of the 5,000
  • Power over illness
    • Healing Peter’s mother-in-law, the lepers, the bleeding woman
  • Power over death
    • Raising Jairus’ daughter, Lazarus, and the young boy
  • Power over sin
    • Forgiveness of the paralytic

The conclusion is that Jesus is mighty to save! We learned there is no one like him and none greater than him. His mighty acts during his ministry years demonstrated that he was the Messiah who had been promised to save his people from their sins. He was the fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies given many years before his arrival! (Main Slide)

As you are likely gathering (or remembering) these were all incredible wonders to behold! And yet, the greatest wonders were talked about on Thursday and Friday nights, and that is where I’d like to direct our focus in this sermon. We are going to behold the wonders of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and return. Why? Because these are the ultimate realities that everyone must do business with… Jesus is the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world, yet we must respond to his finished work if we are to receive salvation and the hope of eternal life! To fail to respond appropriately is to face God’s just judgment and holy wrath… and my desire is that none of you would have to face that! I want as many as possible to have the hope of heaven and certainty of the forgiveness of their sins and salvation of their souls.

So, with that in mind, our primary passages for today are going to be in Matthew chapters 24-28. We are reading the end of Matthew’s account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Because this is a bit of a unique Sunday and sermon in the life of our church, I am going to be reading a lot larger portions of Scripture today. I don’t want to assume that everyone here is familiar with the life of Jesus Christ. I’ve also made sure every single passage will be on the screen when I’m reading it, in case you’re not familiar with where to find it in the Bible.

So, let’s turn to Matthew 26 and join Jesus and his disciples in the final few days of Jesus’ life. We are joining them as they are planning to celebrate the Passover meal.

Matthew 26:17–29 (ESV)

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Let me give you a little historical background of what is happening here. The Passover was a celebration of God saving and redeeming the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. On the 10th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish calendar, they selected a lamb. A one-year-old unblemished male lamb is chosen for the Passover by a member of the household. In A. D. 33, Nisan 10 fell on ‘Palm Monday,’ the day Jesus made his entry into Jerusalem. It is evident that he was presenting himself as the unblemished sacrifice for the nation on that day. The slaughter of the lambs would not take place until Nisan 14, the day Jesus was crucified (Friday, April 3, A. D. 33). When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom—right when the last of the lambs would be on the altar in front of the sanctuary! We ought to rightly wonder at these divine “coincidences”.

When Jesus was the head of the table at the Passover, he said something new about what the bread represents! As Lord of the Passover, he taught a new way to remember God’s saving power. The Passover meal is so significant because Jesus shows he is Lord over the Passover and that he is the perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of humans. Jesus is the unblemished Passover lamb and the consecrated, unleavened bread for the altar. His life-giving blood, which he would shed on the cross, covers not physical doorposts like in Egypt but covers and cleanses our sinful hearts and minds.

Consider this – Jesus knew what was coming. He was intentionally preparing his disciples for what was ahead. He knew that he would give himself up and they would need to remember that this was all part of God’s grand redemption plan! They would need to trust in Jesus’ sacrifice as the beginning of the New Covenant that the prophet Jeremiah had foretold many years before. That God would forgive their sins, give them new hearts that are able and willing to obey him, and that they would be his people forever.

I love how intentional Jesus is in carrying out the grand redemption plan of God and explaining it to his followers along the way! This should cause us to wonder!

From the dinner he then took them on a walk to a garden called Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Listen to the depth of emotion that Jesus was wrestling with as he faced the hardest task of his life and ministry on earth.

Matthew 26:36–39 (ESV)

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Let’s unpack what’s happening in this scene. Jesus has entered the garden with 11 of his disciples. Remember the 12th, Judas, is in the process of betraying him. He has 8 of the disciples sit in one area of the garden while he goes over to another area to pray. He invites Peter and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, to accompany him for prayer.

As Jesus is walking through the garden to his chosen prayer location, his demeanor changes. We heard, “he began to be sorrowful and troubled.” Then he vocalizes it to the 3 men with him, “My soul is VERY sorrowful, even to death…” Jesus doesn’t lie. He knows what is ahead. What he is about to face… And it provokes a very deep sorrow and sadness within him, to the point where it feels like it will KILL him.

Have you ever faced incredible sorrow? Sorrow so deep it felt like a well you couldn’t climb out of? Sorrow so great that you thought you might die? Where to live one more moment seemed agonizing? If so, then you understand what Jesus was facing better than most…. And better yet, Jesus understands what you’re facing or have faced. He knows what it’s like to face the greatest sorrow and persevere in faith.

I don’t use this superlative lightly. Greatest sorrow implies there is nothing more intense or more immense than the sorrow Jesus is facing in this moment. Consider what he is facing… the wrath of the Father. The wrath of the Father for the sins of ALL his people. The wrath of God for the sins of many poured out on the singular person of Jesus Christ. Jesus more than anyone understood what facing the wrath of God meant. He, rightly so, was in deep turmoil over what was about to come.

You must realize that not a single one of us could stand under the wrath of God for OUR own sins. Let alone the sins of millions of other people throughout history. Jesus bore the complete wrath of God for all the elect. Anyone whom God had appointed unto salvation throughout history had his/her wrath paid for by Jesus on the Cross. The cup that Jesus prays about in the garden is the cup of wrath that He is about to drink dry on the Cross. We hear about this from the prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 25:15 (ESV)

15 Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

This cup of wrath is what God has appointed for Jesus so that many can be forgiven of their sins. This is the will of the Father.

Jesus is clearly in agony over what is to come. He prays three different times about the same matter. What does it mean when you pray about the same thing multiple times? It is important to you! It’s on your heart and mind. You want guidance and an answer! Jesus’ 3-fold repetition helps us understand just how much this matter was on his heart and mind. We know from his rebuke of Peter, James, and John that he prayed for an hour the first time. These were not short prayers. They were lengthy prayer sessions with the Father.

Above all else, Jesus wanted the Father’s will to be done. He was willing to do whatever it took to obey the Father, yet he still asked if there might be another way…

Consider what that says about the nature of the wrath of God. How terrifying it must be. How incredible it would be to face it on your own without Christ. That is not something I would wish upon my worst enemy. God’s wrath had wiped out entire cities and nations in the Old Testament. His wrath led him to flood the world in Noah’s day. His wrath is not to be mistaken as some sort of divine mood swing… It is his perfectly just judgment against humanity’s sin. There is no mistake in God’s wrath. He doesn’t execute His wrath outside of His justice and righteousness. Those who receive wrath earned it, with the exception of this One, Jesus Christ. He received wrath, not for His sins, but for the sins of many others, people like you and me.

As you consider what you’ve just heard, I want to point out that the aim of our time together is…

Marveling at Jesus and living for his glory

And to help you marvel at Jesus, I am challenging you to…

  1. Consider the depth of Jesus’ love

Given all that we have learned this week about Jesus’ life and ministry, there can be no questioning the depth of his love! He willingly came down… God the Son entered creation, lived amongst us, enduring the temptations, brokenness and sin of this world while never sinning himself… And he did it all so that he could fulfill the grand redemption plan of God by offering himself as the perfect sacrificial lamb to bear the wrath of God for our sins, so that we might be saved!

We heard about this last Sunday in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This was always the plan! God the Father would send God the Son, who was sinless and perfect in every way, to take on our sin so that through faith in him we might become righteous! What incredibly good news! Oh, the depths of the love of Christ! As Paul prayed for the Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:17–19 (ESV)

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

May we grasp and marvel at the depth of Jesus’ love!

Jesus knew he would be betrayed by one close to him. He knew that his disciples would fall away, and Peter would deny him on the night he needed them most. He knew the horrors of facing God’s wrath, yet he willingly drank the cup of wrath dry.

Who else has a Savior and God like this?! Dying for his people to rescue them from their bondage to sin! Again, as Paul points out to the Romans:

Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! How could you not marvel at Jesus’ deep and sacrificial love!?

When you slow down and consider all that he has done to save us, it is utterly, jaw-droppingly amazing! If you are not in the habit of considering the depth of Jesus’ love, then I hope this brief review of it today helps motivate you to do so. For thousands of years, people have been overwhelmed by the love of Christ that led him to die for them to set them free from sin and death. *pause*

Now, I would also share a word of warning. Consider what Jesus died to save us from. The wrath of God. If you are here this morning and you do not believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, what are you hoping in for the day when you face God’s wrath? Do you realize that you will not stand before it? That you will be eternally and justly judged by it? Do not take this lightly! Please keep listening to hear of the answer to God’s wrath in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

If you recall, we left off in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus was in the garden agonizing over what was coming. For the sake of time, I’m going to summarize some of the events that follow. After Jesus finishes praying, one of his 12 disciples, Judas Isacariot, shows up with a large crowd armed for a fight. They have come to arrest Jesus. He has been betrayed by one close to him! In the ensuing chaos, the rest of the disciples flee into the night, leaving Jesus alone with his betrayer and the mob. They take Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders where there is a sham trial in the middle of the night. While this is happening, Peter ends up denying that he knows or follows Jesus 3x, just as Jesus foretold. Then, in the morning, the religious leaders bring Jesus to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. They sought his condemnation and death at the hands of the Romans. Even though Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he fears the mob more than justice. Here’s what happens next in Matthew 27:

Matthew 27:21–37 (ESV)

21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:45–54 (ESV)

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Even though Jesus was found innocent by the Romans, he was sentenced to death by the mob. Fear of man led Pilate to crucify the Messiah. And for three hours, there was darkness over the land. Supernatural darkness from 12-3pm! Coinciding with God the Father pouring out his wrath on God the Son for the sins of his people. The horrors of God’s wrath that we spoke of earlier were poured out fully on Jesus. He drank the cup dry. Which culminated in Jesus crying out in agony as he finished what he had been sent to do.

At that very moment, more supernatural events occurred to demonstrate the significance of what had occurred. The curtain in the temple, which separated the people from God’s presence, was torn in two, demonstrating Jesus had removed the barrier between God and man. Those who have faith in Christ can now come to God directly because they are at peace with him. Not to mention the resurrection of some of the saints! How incredible is that?! It is a foretaste of what Jesus had accomplished, victory over sin and death! Lastly, there was an earthquake at the same time. All of this led to the Roman guard and those with him confessing Jesus as the Son of God.

Which leads me to the following point – when it comes to marveling at Jesus and living for his glory, you must…

  1. Heed the power demonstrated at Jesus’ death and resurrection

An honest assessment of the testimonies about Jesus’ death reveal that this is no ordinary death of a common criminal. He died as prophesied about him hundreds of years in advance. The clearest prophecy about this is Isaiah 53. Speaking of the Suffering Servant of God, here is what it said:

Isaiah 53:3–11 (ESV)

   3      He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

          and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

   4      Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

          yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

 

   5      But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

          upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

   6      All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

          and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

   7      He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

          like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

 

   8      By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

          that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

   9      And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

          although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10      Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

          when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

          the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11      Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

          by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

This prophecy fits the life and death of Jesus so well that you would think it was written about him after his death! Yet it was written 700 years before his birth. It beautifully foretells how the Messiah would be treated and suffer and die in the place of those he came to save. There is incredible power on display in the fulfillment of prophecy, especially when it results in many being accounted righteous!

But, beyond fulfilled prophecy, we also see heaven and earth responding to Jesus’ death. Who else has had supernatural darkness over the earth in the middle of the day while they were dying? Who else has had the earth quake? Or a heavy veil that signified separation from God ripped in half at the moment of their death? Who can say that the dead were raised when their loved one breathed their last? The answers to these questions are obvious! No one. No one. No one. No one. And NO ONE! Which is why the centurion and crowds’ response was to confess Jesus as the Son of God. The evidence was overwhelming! Will you heed/pay attention to what has happened here?

Jesus accomplished what he had set out to do! He conquered sin and death by dying as a substitutionary atonement. “Substitutionary atonement” means that Jesus died in my place, for my sins, so that I could be reconciled or made right with God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul rejoices in this truth:

Romans 5:11 (ESV)

11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Jesus has made a way of salvation for those who believe in and follow him! Just as he said he would.

John 14:1, 6 (ESV)

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

 

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus has provided access to God by making peace possible between God and man. That is what reconciliation means – to restore friendly relations. Through faith in Jesus, you can be reconciled or at peace with God. No longer his enemy, but one of his children. We heard about this two weeks ago in Ephesians 2.

All this to say, there is great power on display at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! A wise person pays attention to what Jesus accomplished and responds in faith that leads to repentance. Will you marvel at the finished work of Jesus at the cross and empty tomb? Speaking of the empty tomb, let me take us to Matthew 28.

Matthew 28:1–10 (ESV)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Just as he said he would die, he also said he would rise again on the 3rd day, which is exactly what he did. Jesus’ power is on display in the resurrection. The resurrection reveals he conquered sin and death. His resurrection is the first fruit of eternal life for those who believe. Because he has risen, Christians have the hope of bodily resurrection in the age to come.

The resurrection changes everything for Christians! The certainty of it gives us great confidence that God has accomplished what he said he would do and that he will carry out our own redemption when our life ends or he returns. As Paul reminded the Christians in Phillipi:

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Does your life demonstrate that you have this hope? Are you living faithfully as you anticipate Christ’s return?

It is vital to respond correctly to Jesus now, because he is coming back again and will rightly judge between those who follow him and those who reject him. Listen to what he taught about this.

Matthew 24:36–51 (ESV)

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus speaks plainly for our benefit. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. No one knows when that day will be, but it will come unexpectedly/suddenly. For those who are prepared and ready, having lived faithfully for the Lord, it will be a day of excitement and blessing. They will enter his kingdom and eternal rest with blessing. But for those who have rejected him and lived selfishly, it will be a day of terror and condemnation. They will enter eternal judgment. For they have forsaken the only way to peace with God – faith in Jesus Christ. They have remained rebels against a perfectly Holy God and he must judge them justly.

This is a loving warning for us to make sure we are prepared and ready for Jesus’ return. You are either living for your own glory or you’re living for God’s glory. And, as we’ve been trying to drive home through High Five Camp and today in this sermon, living for God’s glory is only possible through faith in Jesus. It is faith that produces a transformed life. We’ve also been learning about this in our summer sermon series In Him. If you’re visiting today and do not have a church home, we’d love to have you join us for the rest of this series over the next 4 weeks.

Did you hear Jesus’ instructions to his disciples in this passage? Let’s do a quick review:

  • Therefore, stay awake… (v43)
  • Therefore you also must be ready… (v44)
  • Blessed is the servant found doing the will of God… (v45-47)
  • Cursed is the servant found rebelling against God… (v48-51)

Jesus uses the example of the master protecting his home from the thief and the servant’s response to his master to drive these points home. You DO NOT know when Jesus will return, but how you’re living when he returns is of the utmost importance!

To be prepared and ready for Jesus’ return, you must live for his glory as you…

  1. Fulfill your calling as an image-bearer of the One, True God

This is how you marvel at Jesus and live for his glory. Reflect his holy character to those around you. Accurately represent and reflect God by being a faithful and wise servant. Please understand – this is the fruit of a life that has been transformed by faith, not a works-based righteousness where you earn your way.

Jesus’ teaching commends the faithful and wise servant who is actively carrying out the good works that God has given him/her to do. Each one of us has been entrusted by God with skills and abilities, finances, and the precious, finite resource of time. How have you used these precious resources? How will you use them from here on out? Will you use them selfishly, for your own gain, perhaps even at the expense of others? That is the way of the wicked servant. He reasons that the master is not coming back anytime soon, so he can live how he wants for now. Surely, he’ll have time to repent later and get things in order!

WRONG! This teaching is pointing out that God is our master, and he knows exactly how we are living, even if we think he is gone or not paying attention. It is foolish to think you can live however you want in this life, and it’ll be fine in the next. You can’t fool God!

Those who love God are to be about the work of the kingdom. Which is to share the Gospel and make disciples. Blessed are those who are found doing the master’s will when he returns! Peter would later write about the temptation to get distracted and think that God isn’t returning anytime soon! He writes of scoffers who would mock how long it’s been since Jesus’ D/B/R and who would delight in following their own sinful desires. It’s a sobering reminder that our present life is mixed with things that remind us of the imminence of Christ’s return (wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions, martyrdom, etc.,) yet also a daily sense of the mundane. There is so much in our daily lives that tempt us to think it’s just another day – no big deal. It is easy to be lulled to spiritual slumber and to not remember the urgency of the mission and the imminence of Christ’s return!

Which is why we must daily prepare for Christ’s return. Today is a day that Nick Lees needs to be remembering Gospel truths, living in light of them, and sharing them with others. Guess what tomorrow will be? A day that Nick Lees needs to be remembering Gospel truths, living in light of them, and sharing them with others! Want to guess what Tuesday will be? … 😊 The same is true for you. Your calling is to faithfully represent Jesus TODAY. Be on-mission until Christ returns or calls you home.

Beware the daily temptation to think, “Today isn’t important. It’s no big deal, just another day. Another day at the office. Another day caring for my family. Another day doing ordinary tasks to get by. He isn’t coming back today. I have time to get my life right with God…” Those thoughts are deceiving! They are lulling you into a sense of comfort and ease and apathy towards spiritual matters. They hinder you from recognizing that today is a day you are prone to wander and need spiritual truth to wash over you anew! They hinder you from seeing the souls around you that need the hope of the Gospel. The hope that you possess, if your faith is in Christ!

Bottom line, if your faith is in Christ, then you have good works that he has prepared in advance for you to do. Embrace your identity as a son/daughter of God and have fun loving God and others! But if your faith is not in Christ, then you need to cry out to God for saving grace. Ask him to give you a new heart that desires to live for him. There are so many people here who have been praying for you – that you would receive the gift of eternal life through Christ. What a joy and delight it would be to celebrate with you today if you’re ready to ask God for forgiveness and new life. You can do that yet this morning as we close our service in prayer. Ask God to rescue and redeem you. Ask him to give you the desire to live for him. If you’d like to talk further about that, please see me after the service.

Let’s pray.

Pray – thank God for salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray for salvation for those who are wrestling with what they believe. Pray for ongoing joyful obedience for those who know Christ, that we would fulfill our calling as image-bearers of the One, True God.

Closing

Mention the Celebration out on the lawn between services

Visitor table + gift

You are loved!