Holy Week- Tuesday!

Good morning brothers and sisters. As I was looking at the Holy Week and studying, Jesus didn't stop just because of what lies ahead. He knew what was coming. He knew who was going to hand him over. He knew. But if you read, He never stopped trying to reach the people. He gave the "woes" to the religious elite. He continued on teaching parables. I want to look at Matthew 21:23-32. I will ask the question first- will you relent and be obedient to the Father? 23- Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?" Ok, I want to stop right there for just a moment. Look at that questioning of Jesus. Guess what, if we live so full of Christ, we too, will be asked these questions. They will already know the answer but will demand for us to say it, so they can persecute us. 24- But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25- The baptism of John- where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26- But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.'" Ok I am going to stop right there again. Jesus just asked a simple question but a question that they knew they could not answer truthfully. When the world is hit in the face with the truth, the honest truth, not agenda truth, but God's truth, they will not know what to say. So they lied. 27- So they answered Jesus and said, "we do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." They could not handle THE TRUTH! 28- "But what do you think? A man had two sons and he came to the first and said, "Son, go, work today in my vineyard." 29- He answered him and said: "I will not," but afterward he regretted it and went. 30- Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, "I go, sir," but he did not go. 31- Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32- For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him." So are you like the Pharisees or the tax collectors and the harlots? I was the tax collector. I was the harlot. I am not a Pharisee. He is calling us to see and believe. He is calling us to relent, repent and return. Rise up child of God, rise up!