I'm not sure how long this will take 
. Matthew has 7 more chapters than John. I am sure I won't be able to tackle a chapter a week like we did in Ecclesiastes, so prepare yourselves Calvary listeners...we are in for the long haul. The book of Matthew has so many Old Testament quotes and allusions that we will be "all over the place" during this study. As some of you know, the theme of this record is slightly different than the other three gospel accounts. John presented Jesus as the "Son of God." Mark presented Jesus as the "Servant of God." Luke presented Jesus as the "Man of God." Matthew presents Jesus as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus is simply too "big" to comprehend from one perspective. Because Jesus is the infinite and invisible God in finite and visible flesh a full understanding of His purpose and mission is complex. If we were going to study the "Life of Christ", we would lean heavily on what is called "the Harmony of the Gospels." But, we are going to (as much as possible), stick with Matthew's presentation of the King and His Kingdom. Who is this Great King, this King of Glory? Where is His reign? Who are His citizens? If this Kingdom is among us, what would it look like to live as a part of this Kingdom? These are the kinds of questions we will ask and then answer with the text. We are not trying to give the text meaning...we are looking for the meaning of the text. God has intentions for us, they are not hard to find. What is required? Repentance. We're going to have to change the way we think about kings, kingdoms and what it looks like to live in one without a visible throne. We're not the first ones to try this. I hope and pray we do better than the people of Samuel's day! Join us Sunday as we begin our study of "The King of all the Earth."
. Matthew has 7 more chapters than John. I am sure I won't be able to tackle a chapter a week like we did in Ecclesiastes, so prepare yourselves Calvary listeners...we are in for the long haul. The book of Matthew has so many Old Testament quotes and allusions that we will be "all over the place" during this study. As some of you know, the theme of this record is slightly different than the other three gospel accounts. John presented Jesus as the "Son of God." Mark presented Jesus as the "Servant of God." Luke presented Jesus as the "Man of God." Matthew presents Jesus as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus is simply too "big" to comprehend from one perspective. Because Jesus is the infinite and invisible God in finite and visible flesh a full understanding of His purpose and mission is complex. If we were going to study the "Life of Christ", we would lean heavily on what is called "the Harmony of the Gospels." But, we are going to (as much as possible), stick with Matthew's presentation of the King and His Kingdom. Who is this Great King, this King of Glory? Where is His reign? Who are His citizens? If this Kingdom is among us, what would it look like to live as a part of this Kingdom? These are the kinds of questions we will ask and then answer with the text. We are not trying to give the text meaning...we are looking for the meaning of the text. God has intentions for us, they are not hard to find. What is required? Repentance. We're going to have to change the way we think about kings, kingdoms and what it looks like to live in one without a visible throne. We're not the first ones to try this. I hope and pray we do better than the people of Samuel's day! Join us Sunday as we begin our study of "The King of all the Earth."