32.

Expressing Christ Among Religious Captives: Setting Them Free (Part 6)

Matthew 21:23-46

  • Session: 32
  • Week: 5
  • Day: 4
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Introduction

In Matthew 21:23-46, we explore the stumbling blocks that hinder making Christ known, particularly to those imprisoned by religion. As Jesus enters the final week of His earthly ministry, He fully reveals His identity as the Suffering Servant, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, yet is rejected by men. In this session, the religious leaders question Jesus’ authority to cleanse the temple. He exposes their unwillingness to obey God’s authority and clarifies that His authority is not delegated but ultimate, coming directly from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus demonstrates that He is the source of all authority, not merely a resource.

Objectives

By the end of this session, you will have:

  • Understood the doctrine of authority on earth to free those in prison by examining the source of our authority, the rejection of this authority by religious leaders, and the punishment God gives to those who reject His authority.
  • Been warned that God can reject us from representing Him on earth by reflecting on the example of the Israelites.

Outline

  • The identity of the person of Christ is fully revealed as the Suffering Servant.
  • The Suffering Servant is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the nations.
  • The rulers questioned Jesus’ authority.
  • Types of authority are listed and explained.

Group Study Time

Matthew 21:23-46

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

What do the verses mean?
(In small groups, attempt the following questions. Focus on God’s attitudes and the people’s character/attributes.)

  • What did you discover about God’s attributes/character, His people’s character, and the enemy in this passage? What lessons have you learned from the passage?
  • Who is the author? What is authority? What types of authority do you know? List at least three figures who can grant delegated authority on earth.
  • What had Jesus done or what was done to Him to show that He was a man of authority? (Refer to Matthew 21:1-22 and lessons from the previous session.)
  • Read Matthew 21:23-27. List five principles or truths that Jesus revealed about authority. What are the sources of authority and types of authority? How do people respond to authority?
  • Jesus used three parables to answer the question of what authority He used and who gave Him authority. In the first parable, read Matthew 21:28-32. What did Jesus reveal about the source of authority and how to benefit from that authority?
  • In the second parable, Matthew 21:33-46, what did Jesus reveal about God the Father being the source of His authority? List the wrong ways people responded to authority, and what punishment did they receive from the farm’s owner?

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.