Fresh Manna 2021

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Strong Tower Radio

Fresh Manna by Dan Rachor

Dan Rachor

The Wavering Crowd

Fresh manna fell to the ground as a gift from God while the Israelites were in the wilderness.

It was fresh from the ovens of heaven, baked by the master baker himself.

How the Israelites must have anticipated the taste and the smell of each morning's delivery.

Just like the Israelites, you too can now experience the taste and the smell of fresh manna.

Today, you will be listening to Dan Rocker, pastor of the Wyoming and Bower Seventh-day Adventist churches.

Father in heaven, As we turn to your word, we thank you for your promise to be with us.

We do ask that you please draw close to us.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus.

I thought about just calling it the mob, but the wavering crowd.

And I'm going to start in Matthew chapter 23.

Matthew chapter 23 and verse 29, where Jesus is speaking some of the strongest words recorded in his controversy with the scribes and Pharisees.

He says, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous.

Can you see them building the tombs of the prophets, adorning the monuments of the righteous heroes of the nation, and saying, if we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

But a short time later, with the help of the wavering crowd, they crucified Jesus.

And Jesus didn't mention any words there in verse 31, but before I read that, we can say, when we see this, we're looking at human nature.

Jesus said, therefore, you are witnesses against yourself that you are sons of those who murder the prophets.

And then, looking to his crucifixion, fill up then the measure of your father's guilt, he said." Serious, serious words.

All through his ministry, Jesus had avoided scenes that would confirm the people's false ideas about the Messiah being an earthly king.

But on Sunday, the first day of the week, first day of Jesus last week, first day of the week that would see Jesus crucified, it was different.

On that day, Jesus, who always walked, rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey.

It was his purpose to publicly present himself as the Redeemer.

He desired to call attention to the sacrifice that was to crown his mission to this fallen world.

Zechariah 9 verse 8, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey.

A colt, the foal of a donkey, Zechariah 9.8.

In imagination, they saw the Romans being driven from Jerusalem, and Israel once more an independent nation, indeed the queen of all the nations.

Jesus' disciples also believed that he would now take his place upon a throne.

Matthew 21, verse 8, it says, And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road.

Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, Hosanna to the son of David.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Verse 10 there in Matthew 21, continuing to verse 10, it says, And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved.

Many of the crowd of people who fouled Jesus to Calvary had also fouled him with joyful hosannas and the waving of palm branches as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem.

But it is a sober thought that Not a few of those who had then shouted his praise because it was popular to do so, now joined the mob in the cry of crucify him, crucify him.

When Jesus rose into Jerusalem, the hopes of his disciples had been raised to the highest pitch.

They felt it was a privilege to be associated with him.

But in His humiliation, they followed Him at a distance, even His disciples.

And how the words of Jesus were verified, Matthew 26, 31, it said, Then Jesus said to them, All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, Jesus said, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

And most of the people of this world are without a shepherd.

Well, the day after Jesus' royal entry into Jerusalem, He drove the desecrating commercial traffic out of the temple.

Just like when Jesus cleansed the temple early in His ministry, as recorded in the Gospel of John, the rulers of the temple fled in fear of Jesus.

The day after that, Tuesday, they ventured back to the temple and questioned Jesus regarding His authority.

And we're going to read about there in Luke chapter 20.

It says, Now it happened on 1 of those days as he taught the people in the temple, this is Luke chapter 20, and preached the gospel that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted him and spoke to him, saying, Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things?

Or who is he who gave you this authority?

But he answered and said to them, I also will ask you 1 thing, and answer me.

The baptism of John, he said, was it from heaven or from men?

And they reasoned among themselves." You can see them huddled together, whispering among themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not believe him?

But if we say from men, all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.

So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

And Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Matthew 21, verse 26, It says the same story, a little different, but if we say, "...from men we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." So the people had the right understanding about John the Baptist.

We can have a right view and opinion about some segments of truth.

But that doesn't guarantee that we will not be a part of the wavering crowd.

Well, there in the temple, after silencing the religious leaders over the authority of John the Baptist, Jesus told the story about the wicked husbandman.

You know, he leased out his vineyard to the vine dressers, and he went away to a far country, and then he sent his servants to get what he had coming and they mistreated his servants and so on.

So he finally said, I'll send my son, surely they'll respect my son.

Jesus told the story, had my beloved son in the story.

So it can be no question what he's talking about here.

But when the vinedressers saw him, it says in Luke 20, verse 14, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir.

Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Jesus said, therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

He will come and destroy those fine dressers and give the vineyard to others.

And when they heard it, Luke 20, verse 16 says, they said, Certainly not!

Because as they were caught up in the story, they knew the story was about them.

Until they said, God forbid that this should happen this way.

Jesus looked upon them, and under His searching gaze, they knew that He knew the secrets of their hearts.

Indeed, His divinity flashed out before them with unmistakable power.

And they saw in the husbandmen a picture of themselves.

Without, involuntarily, they cried out, God forbid, So many words.

Well, Luke 20, verse 19, the same context, it says, The chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on him.

But they feared the people, for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

So the religious leaders knew this parable was about them.

I have to believe the people enjoyed this.

Series

Fresh Manna by Dan Rachor

The Wavering Crowd

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

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