The Second Test | Matthew 22:23-33

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Introduction:
Jesus had just been challenged about His authority.
ESV Matthew 21:23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
He answers that challenge by asserting His authority. He asserts His authority by assessing those who challenge Him. He announces what their current spiritual condition is, and He warns them about their future judgment.
He does this by means of three judgment parables.
The parable of the two sons.
The parable of the wicked tenants.
The parable of wedding feast.
Each one tells of Israel’s true spiritual condition, warns of future judgment, and announces a new day of mercy (toward outsiders).
Matthew tells us what follows on the part of Christ’s opponents.
What follows is not humility.
What follows is not fear.
What follows is not reassessment.
What follows is not repentance.
QUESTION: HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN GOD’S CONFRONTS YOUR SIN?
What follows are wicked attempts to rid themselves of the voice that exposes them.
Matthew records three attempts to entrap Jesus.
But what these three attempts achieve, instead, are three demonstrations of the wisdom of Jesus that underscore the unique authority of Jesus.
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST IS ON DISPLAY IN HIS JUDGMENTS, AND THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST IS ON DISPLAY IN HIS WISDOM.
WHO IS JESUS? — WATCH WHAT HE DOES.
WHO IS JESUS? — WATCH HOW HE DOES IT.

Last time we saw His wisdom as He answered the hypocrisy of Pharisees and Herodians trying to put Him in a vice over the question of taxes paid to Caesar.
This morning we see His wisdom as He answers the arrogance of Sadducees. We will examine this under four headings (1) The test (2) The rebuke (3) The proof (4) The outcome.
• THE TEST (vs.23-28)
Matthew begins by telling us that this occurred on the same day.
Multiple attempts to do harm to Jesus, all launched at him on the same day.
The hounds of hell have been released and they are in pursuit of the Son of God.
We see the variety of ways that man’s hostility toward God can be on display. The first question had to do with a political debate of the day, the second question had to do with a theological debate of the day. But in both cases, the men asking the questions are hostile to God.
NOTE: There can be great interest in political questions and theological questions — in the name of God — from men who don’t know God.
• THE SOURCE OF THE TEST — SADDUCEES
The source of this test are Sadducees.
WHO WERE THE SADDUCEES?
We don’t have a lot of historical information about the Sadducees.
What we can gather from a source like Josephus, and from the Scriptures, tells us nothing about how they began, but does provide some insight into their standing and their influence at the time of Christ.
What we DO know is that they represented one of the most influential schools of Jewish thought during the time of Christ.
In fact, by the time of Jesus, it might be true to say that they held the MOST influential place in the FORMAL realms of Jewish authority.