And now we arrive at the most spectacular single event in universal history as we witness the Creator of the Universe transport himself into the womb of one of his sinful creatures. This single event speaks louder about who God is than any other claim or "key text" in the entire Bible. The unapproachable light became approachable. God moved into the neighborhood. Words cannot describe the unbelievable claim made in the Bible that the God of the Universe was created cell by cell inside the womb and became a flesh and blood human being!

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There are a number of apparent contradictions in the book of Matthew. Do these mistakes fit in with the Biblical claim that "All Scripture is inspired by God." (2 Timothy 3:16)

Jesus' first speech that begins in Matthew chapter 5 is such a remarkable illustration of what Jesus desired his kingdom to look like. The people "blessed by God" are those who are humble and who recognize their spiritual poverty. Jesus would then later say that loving our enemies and praying for them is a criteria for becoming a child of God. He would also break down several difficult Old Testament passages. For example, do we still operate under the "eye for an eye" mentality as Christians? No! Jesus Christ calls his followers to grow up and to be more like him. His kingdom is radically different than any other kingdom of the world. Jesus Christ is King of the "upside down kingdom" - a kingdom where the King first dies for his subjects and then asks them to follow him.  

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Many times in the book of Matthew Jesus referred to the "Kingdom of God" or the "Kingdom of Heaven". What does this refer to? Should we look into the clouds to see the Kingdom of Heaven? Where is the Kingdom of Heaven located? What does it look like?

We also discussed Jesus' clear words to the disciples about his crucifixion and that he would be resurrected 3 days later. Three times he tried to prepare them for this according to Matthew's gospel. Yet, it would appear that after Jesus was crucified they were not expecting him to be resurrected. Why did they not hear and understand his words? Are there any clear words of Jesus that we are not hearing and understanding?

click here to watch the powerpoint slides with the lecture

click here to download the lecture

click here to watch powerpoint slides with the audio

click here to download the lecture

Why did God choose to come to earth as a baby? Why did he spend his first night lying in a feeding trough? Why grow up in the worthless town of Nazareth? What does all of this say about God?

Matthew, chapters 5-7, is the sermon in which Jesus announces his platform. What is the message in this sermon? What does all of this say about the kind of Kingdom that Jesus wants to establish? Is it foolishness to love our enemies and to give without expecting anything back?