When studying the life of Jesus Christ in the Gospel account by Matthew, we have tried to interject events that were either missing from Matthew (there are no single “biographies”; all the Gospels just clipped vignettes and sayings that fit their purpose in writing) or not dealt with as completely.
The fall of AD 29 posed a serious problem. After 114 messages we’ve preached verse by verse from Matthew, the inspired writer now simply records
Matthew 19:1 ‘When Jesus had finished this teaching, He left Galilee and went into the area of Judea and the other side of the Jordan.’
With no explanation or detail of what happened at the Feast of Tabernacles, all the teaching that fall, Feast of Dedication (Hanukah), all the teaching/activity of the winter, and into the spring of AD 30.
Seven months.
5 entire chapters in John. 9 chapters in Luke. Rich materials worthy of stopping for a bit and concentrating on!
So we begin a few weeks to glimpse a short overview of some of these events, so that our focus is still on Matthew BUT not missing salient points in that “silent” period.
I. EPIPHANY OF THE MESSIAH (John 7)
A. LIGHT HIDDEN
1. TIME WAS NOT RIGHT
2. JESUS PERFECT TIME, NOT HIS FAMILY
B. LIGHT REVEALED
1. TWO GREAT PICTURES
2. REACTION OF THE PEOPLE
II. PROCLAMATION OF THE MESSIAH (John 8 )
A. LIGHT GIVES VISION
1. PHYSICAL VISION
2. SPIRITUAL VISION
B. LIGHT ALLOWS FREEDOM
1. FALSE FREEDOM ENSLAVES
2. TRUE LIGHT GIVES REAL FREEDOM
C. LIGHT DISPELS DARKNESS
1. UNCOVERING SIN
2. CENTERS FOR HIS LIGHT TO RESIDE IN
III. ACTIONS OF THE MESSIAH (John 9)
A. LIGHT NEEDED BY A MAN
1. HOPELESS CONDITION
2. HELPLESS CONDITION
B. LIGHT GIVEN TO MAN
1. MIRACLE
2. FAITH
C. LIGHT ILLUMINED MAN
1. MISSED THE LIGHT
2. FOUND THE LIGHT!