A Biblical Vision, Part II: Mastering the New Testament Witness to Christ

Ses s i on 3: The Gospe l s : The Man i fes tat i on of Chr i s t , Par t I I 93

5. Elevated power, money, and position above a genuine desire to care for others, or recognize the obvious signs of Jesus’ Messiahship

6. Jesus often warned against the unhealthy influence of their teaching, which was compared to “leaven,” Matt. 16.6 (cf. Matt. 16.11-12; Luke 12.1).

B. Implications for our lives and ministries today

1. With very little sanctified imagination, we can easily find our own responses within these groups to Jesus (take seriously what Jesus is saying because you are more like one of these groups than you probably know!)

2. Jesus forewarned that due to their opposition, plotting, and conspiracy he would be crucified, but also promised to rise again, Matt. 20.17-19 – And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, [18] “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death [19] and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (cf. Mark 8.31; 10.32-34)

3. The tendency is to turn Jesus into the advocate and representative that underwrites our agenda and project

a. Jesus as the militant revolutionary of the liberation theologians

b. Jesus as the warm existentialist of liberal theology