Jesus Questions the Scribes

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains Jesus's use of a 'Haggadah question' to expose the scribes' inadequate interpretation of Scripture and their ungodly conduct, setting the stage for His direct…

An analogy of a coin with a bird on one side and a famous man on the other illustrates how two seemingly contradictory statements can both be true, depending on the perspective, resolving the tension in a Haggadah question.

And he enters into a form of questioning which would have been very much known to the people of that day. It was, called a Haggadah question. It was a question that was common among the rabbis in which two apparently contradictory statements of scripture were brought forward in a question with a view to bringing about a resolution between those two apparently contradictory statements. You see, the truth lay not in one statement, or the other, but in the manner in which the two statements were reasonably reconciled. It would be like someone holding up a coin with the imprint of a bird on one si...

4:51 - 6:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Jesus first asks the Pharisees to state their known belief that the Messiah is the Son of David, drawing out their public acknowledgment of this Old Testament truth, which is…

Comparing Jesus's question to asking a proud Ph.D. the first letter of the alphabet highlights the simplicity and obviousness of the Messiah's Davidic lineage to the Jews, underscoring the Pharisees' condescension.

You get the feeling? Here the Lord now takes the initiative and asks them the question that every little school kid would know. It's like coming to a proud, strutting Ph.D.

15:56 - 16:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The scribes and Pharisees are utterly silenced, unable to answer Jesus, while the vast multitudes in the temple hear Jesus's teaching with great delight and pleasure, appreciating…

Jesus's teaching is contrasted with the scribes' traditions, which were like 'binding heavy burdens upon men,' making it hard for them to stand upright, emphasizing the refreshing simplicity of Jesus's message.

Polus, the great ochlos crowd. So the great crowd, or great multitudes, were hearing him gladly. And that word gladly is the very word used of how happy, how prepared, listen to John the Baptist, heard him with pleasure. It's the word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 12 twice when he says, Most gladly therefore will I glory in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

35:59 - 36:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Embrace Jesus's view of the Holy Scriptures as the infallible word of God, written by men but superintended by the Holy Spirit, and reject any denial of its inerrancy.

Martin recounts his personal experience of recognizing the distinct grammatical styles of Peter and John in their Greek writings, illustrating that Scripture is the 'word of men' with individual fingerprints.

enough grasp upon elementary Greek many years ago that I could read or try to read a page of 1 Peter and compare it with a page of 1 John. And I remember the thrill of saying, nobody would ever mix up John's writing with Peter's writing. Why, the evidence of Peter is all over his writing and the evidence of John all over his. It is the word of men.

47:39 - 48:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Receive Christ as prophet, priest, and king, which includes receiving His view of the Bible, understanding that salvation is impossible without both Christ's Bible and His cross.

Martin shares an anecdote of biting his lip when a 'mere creature of the dust' claimed there were factual errors in the Bible, illustrating his vehement opposition to any denial of scriptural inerrancy.

And any denial that God can so work upon sinful and fallible men, so that their writing is the writing of men, and yet it is utterly free of error and untruth, it is a horrible affront upon the sovereign power of God. And dear people, if you wonder why I speak so vehemently, there is a reason. There is a reason. I had to sit yesterday and bite my lip and say nothing, when a mere creature of the dust, claiming to be a lover of Christ, could say without embarrassment in answer to my question, do you believe there are factual errors in the Bible? And after waffling and I would not budge, I said I...

49:34 - 50:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Receive Christ as prophet, priest, and king, which includes receiving His view of the Bible, understanding that salvation is impossible without both Christ's Bible and His cross.

Martin quotes Lutheran commentator Lenski, who argues that denying David's authorship or inspiration of Psalm 110:1 leads to a 'mistaken Jesus or a tricky Jesus,' which disproves His deity rather than proving it, reinforcing the inerrancy of Scripture.

There is a time to spoof error and to make it appear in all of its folly. And I came across something in Lenski, the Lutheran commentator. Yes, I do have time to read this. And he takes up the argument of some of the so-called critical writers, people who say the Bible is not in sight, or the Bible is not inspired, Jesus was a man of his times, etc.

51:17 - 51:42 Read in full sermon