Jesus the Glutton and Winebibber

Coming up next on Renewing Your Mind.

Some people look at Jesus and so there is the Messiah. Some people look at Jesus and so there's the son of David, some people look at him and said, here is our Lord. Other people looked at him and said he's a drunk is a glutton who is Jesus really is no shortage of opinions so often those impressions are well-meaning but did more this week on Renewing Your Mind.

We have brought you portions of Dr. Marcy's groceries your Christ is too small.

Learn how Jesus describes himself how God the father identified him.

We learned of his majesty and glory today will see how one group of people during Jesus's earthly ministry beauty that is shocking and false.

But first Chris Larson is by the studio is our president and CEO in the press for those who were new to Renewing Your Mind and would get her ministries is helpful to explain what our mission is. When entering the what were here to do later ministries exist to proclaim, teach, and defend the holiness of God in all its fullness, and something that by God's grace, I believe, has given Ligon your staying power even after RC went to be with the Lord several years ago, is the fact that RC had integrity in his ministry that was not chasing the novel, but only sought to teach that which was enduring truth so just listen to this testimony from Noel who expresses just that thought leader RC introduced a holy God. That's what and that's what it's doing and that doesn't change, and that is going to be will continue this in the next because God does not change if they continue with that mess. Millionaire will always be right.

I'm always saying) trips. This is produced holy God and by God's grace we will continue doing just that must turn now to Marcy's message for today title Jesus the glutton, and one member, this available different in this segment. I want to consider the question how Jesus was viewed by his enemies, and more. I think before we look at that. We need to first of all, identify who Jesus chief enemies were let me ask you when you read the New Testament, who was at the comes across rather obviously as being the chief enemies of Jesus from his own dice by members of the Sanhedrin of the ruling body. The big Harris the heavyweight sofa. The ruling class.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees. Everyone I lump those altogether.

The bad news is, it was the clergy that that Jesus had more trouble with the clergy and with anyone else and there were obviously some reasons for that. There was no particular group of Jewish people who had more to lose with the appearance of Jesus than the professional clergy because they were considered as the paragons of virtue is the supreme models of righteousness in the community and when the perfectly righteous 1K. They not only were displaced and brought low, but they were exposed.

They say the old cliché is that nothing exposes a lie more quickly than the truth when it stands beside so the Pharisees had to lose their turf. They had to lose their status and their prestige and people go to great lengths to protect the status that they work very hard to achieve. And so these people among all others were the ones most critical and hostile toward Jesus and those that were most comfortable with Jesus seem to be the ones who were the most religious the most MPS the most secular, as it were a part of that can be understood by Jesus understanding of his own admission he repeatedly said that the reason why he came into the world was to seek and to save the lost. He made statements like those who are whole have no need of a physician, but those who are ill. They're the ones who need the physician and so we see Jesus public ministry, and his style of ministry being very much shaped by spirit of compassion. Jesus ministry was simply this, he went where the pain was and he didn't come in a patronizing attitude and minister to the lowly and to the broken simply so that he could exalt his own wholeness, but there was genuine compassion.

His heart was breaking for people who were lost percent of cases. A bruised reed would he not break that Jesus was very careful to protect the dignity of the most heinous sinners and that was another thing that caused great grief for Jesus in terms of his contemporaries because the Pharisees would have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus would talk Samaritans Jesus cared about the Samaritans and some of the Jews of the day believed that they could be saved or sanctified by segregation that is by keeping themselves unspotted from any kind of close proximity with people who were living godless lives, whereas Jesus went straight to the heart of godlessness and associated with the people who we would frown upon because he cared for the didn't go there to destroy them or to break the people that were bruised, but to heal, and that upset establishment will okay we've identified not the enemies of Jesus. The religious establishment ones who were the strict moralists ones who had the highest reputation for righteousness whom Jesus demonstrates to be people of external righteousness. Let's see what some of the charges were brought against them by his contemporaries for read this when Matthew 12 is one that were all familiar with and that is that when Jesus performs his ministry of demon exorcism. We remember that the Pharisees accused him of casting out Satan, by the power of Satan. And so they said that he was in association with Beelzebub. You remember that this is one of the perceptions that the enemies of Jesus had in his contemporaries. Of him that Jesus was in leg with the devil was basil Bobby note the name Beelzebub means the literal translation of the name Beelzebub is Lord of the flies we've seen a novel in our own generation by that title.

Lord of the flies and it was one of those awful titles given to Satan and his cohorts, and so here they are saying that Jesus is next up with Satan will understand that we have to look at something else was strange. We examine the miracles that Jesus performed in the New Testament, they are astonishing to be sure if we would set them in the different classes and different characteristics. We would see that almost every type of miracle that Jesus performed in the New Testament was also performed by somebody.

People like Elijah and Elisha and Moses and so did amazing miracles in the Old Testament people were raising the dead. There were miracles of nature with an accent floating in the parting of the Red Sea and things like that took place in the Old Testament there was the widow screws in the case of a larger that would be something like the water to wine. Almost everything that Jesus did, had its duplicate in the Old Testament, but the one kind of miracle. That really got the attention of Jesus contemporaries was this whole business of casting out demons because that was unprecedented, and Jesus himself call attention to it as being of special importance. He said if you see me casting out Satan by the finger of God than what then you know that the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Jesus said this sign all the miracles were signs, but this sign is of particular significance if you see this happening. The new no dramatic moment has taken place in the history of mankind. But now the kingdom of God is breaking in to Tom in the space in a way that no one was ever familiar with in the past. No, instead of rejoicing and that the Pharisees said he casts out Satan, by the power of Satan as heavy stuff now, we've all been criticize every one of us was at the learn how to deal with criticism.

Mother called lots of things but I'm not aware of anybody Ashley calling me a real live honest-to-goodness devil, that's what they're saying about Jesus and Jesus.

Did you ever notice how tolerant Jesus was a Christmas people call him all kinds of things get all mad at him and he would open. Not his mouth. He would accept that he would smaller you are so on. He was, he had a thick skin when the Pharisees called him Satan is then that Jesus gave the most scary warning your gears in the New Testament, remember that was the occasion when Jesus spoke of the un-forgivable sin, and he said you can say a word against people and you can speak against the Son of Man, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world in the world to come. As he says in there you can say bad things about me about the Son of Man, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit the tone or the thrust of what Jesus was saying to the Pharisees at that point was this, he was saying hi. Be careful. It's one thing for you guys to call me this and call me that to be mad about this and be mad about that but you be careful see he just told them that the power by which he was casting out Satan was to the finger of God and biblically the phrase finger of God is a technical term.

It's a title that the Jews understood. It's a reference. Clearly, to who to the Holy Spirit, which Jesus was saying was I doing this ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit and you are saying that are doing it to the par Satan. Now you be careful because if this is the Holy Spirit working here in history and a new and dramatic way and you're saying that it's the work of Satan you are coming callously close to the unforgivable sin. That's one thing that they said of Jesus that he was in league with Satan was demonic that he himself had been the other thing that I think is interesting protectively for us because in the Christian community. You don't find too many people saying that Jesus had a demon or the Jesus was of the devil you don't usually find it. The secular community, either because I don't believe that Jesus was divine, it's usually because I don't believe in the supernatural and that is repugnant to them to talk about the devil as it is to talk about of the bond Jesus so Jesus doesn't get that kind of attack you in this day and age very much.

Let's look at the next one which I thinks particularly significant. We read in the 11th chapter of Matthew's gospel where Jesus is responding to his contemporaries and he says to what shall I liken this generation. He says like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions and saying we played the flute for you and you did not dance. We mourn to you and you did not lament as a puzzling statement from Jesus lesson and I don't think anybody knows for sure exactly what he means the research of New Testament scholarship is pretty confident that there was in fact a children's game that was commonplace at this time in church history where kids play little games like replay release.

The peddler kick the can, or jump rope little songs we sing in one of the things that the children sign with the song in the gist of the song is, no matter what we do.

We can't please you. If you want us to be happy. We play the flute, you won't dance if you want us to be sad and we mourn for you.

You want more in the complaint is here from in a very childish way is there is no way in the world. I can never please you feel about your critics and if you do, damned if you don't is the meant test is exactly what that verse is saying here and Jesus illustrates it by saying this he said no, look at John the Baptist. John Kane, neither eating nor drinking and they say he has a demon. John was an ascetic he was given to rigorous self-denial. No one can ever accuse John the Baptist of embracing a prosperity. I think nobody could ever accuse John the Baptist of materialism. John the Baptist lived like the world's worst hermit eating locusts and wild hunting and dress like some crazy man and they come out of the desert and he lived this rigorous life of self-denial and so he came into town fasting denying himself an austere, stern, prophetic character and everybody looked at him and thought he was nuts and said he was at the Elsinore Jesus.

This the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say look a gluttonous man and aligned a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Some people look at Jesus and said there's the Messiah. Some people look at Jesus and said there's the son of David, some people look at him. So there's the son of God. Some people look at him and said, here is our Lord philosophers look and said he is the logo's supreme principle of coherence in the universe. Other people look down and said he's a drunk is a glutton. Was Jesus a drunk course was Jesus a glutton of course not. But why did people calling a glutton and a drunk and who were the people who accused the fundamentalist, so it where I can buy only way I can read Jesus scandalized those people who had reduced the things of God to superficial external matters and we see all around us in the church today people. The major and minor's and who want to reduce the kingdom of God to eating and drinking that is not Christianity.

The same people who are that way in their mentality would've been the ones who were yelling at Jesus.

What are they, glutton because he went to festivals. He went to dinners water they call the wind members because they want the wedding fix another to go as a guest. Imagine today if a minister went to a wedding and they were serving champagne and he drank the champagne at the wedding to give himself in big trouble. Good. His piety is spirituality is godliness would be brought into question.

But he might barely get away with it. But what if he comes the wedding and he tells his friends. He says go out to the truck and bring in 15 cases of the Imperial for these people because were to have the best wine that we could possibly have a minister did that could be crucified when that's what Jesus did and you watch the gymnastics of people who want to say that Jesus never drank the wine that he drank wasn't wind was grapefruit me tie with that is baloney and anybody teaches you that you know right away.

They don't know the first thing the first century culture and they don't know anything about New Testament Greek Jesus made wine and Jesus drank wine and at times in large quantities. Jesus never got drunk. The wedding feast of Canaan gets a quote in American terms, a wedding feast we go to wedding sit for 15 minutes while I tie the knot. Then you go to the country club regarding the meeting hall and you sit there for 20 minutes or half on the Polish letting us three hours or four hours of its Italian wedding may go six hours but that's it right and a good time in the space. A wedding would go for a week or two weeks because was a major economic transaction like it better when she could, or a tribal leader amendment number they didn't have proposals of moonlight strolls. This was an arrangement where they made an arrangement than there were diaries involved and so when the marriage took place. It was a major social event, and they would bring foodstuffs to have a party that would go on for a week for two weeks and the wine was flowing and again been going great church they brought worldwide and Jesus goes to this one.

He's going to party. He's having a good time and what happens they run out of wine and Jesus says that's okay. I'll take care of his very first miracle was to make one real one. The same substance that he consecrated as a symbol of the supreme redemptive act in history, but there were people who were offended by that said that guy is a wind were not trusted reason I labor this point difference is that I'm convinced that if Jesus of Nazareth came to the United States of America today, he would be rejected and some of the most zealous evangelical circles by his behavior. He would not be trusted. If you saw Jesus walking to a tavern which question the spiritual that's for the lost people in the town and this rework in the next in the mad at him because he ate dinner with tax collectors, crooks, if ever a man could have been destroyed by the principle of guilt by association. It was Jesus of Nasser but we have to face that if were going to have a biblical understanding of Jesus will, I am not saying that therefore Jesus is teaching the Christian church, the Christian church to go out and embrace worldliness and get as drunk as I can be the knot on Anna. Jesus never got drunk. Jesus never abused the flesh. Jesus never participated in adultery.

Jesus was sinless, Jesus associated with prostitutes.

Jesus was criticized for that sort of thing that he did know how to Jesus react to these people.

Every person is different.

The good Shepherd knows his sheep. He speaks softly. The one she and he speaks loud to the other shape a cyst on tarsal woman who is a confessed the dollar.

She's had five husbands. Once a guy she's living with theirs and her husband either. And how does he talk to her because her woman he treats her with dignity he sky to house a doctor Pharisees asked no quarter and give them will want to hear scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites to go over land and sea to make one convert an estimate of the Omega twice a child of hell than you are yourself. Jesus comes on those guys like gangbusters. He is as hard as nails when he's dealing with the Pharisees with the week.

Jesus is tender with the professionals is hard as a rock. That was his style, because he knew people and he knew what was appropriate and he didn't have some simplistic little set of guidelines that he can treat everybody the same concern for the individual but his critics hated him because of who we left. We cared about and who he was willing to be seamless. Jesus whole life and mission was a matter of guilt by association because the only kind of people. Jesus ever associated with was guilty people is assumed, people there a lot so take your pick. E spends time with tax collector, spends his time with prostitutes spend this time with drunkards spends time with hypocritical first wherever he is soon because I soon became guilt by association but a great explanation of the accusations brought against Jesus. This is Renewing Your Mind and were featured Dr. RC Sproul series your Christ is too small. This is classic RC Sproul material and a great example of why we so appreciate his teaching. This series is available exclusively from our special ministry partner archives collection of sermons and messages available only to those who signed up to give a monthly gift to the ministry partners are a special group and we served them with exclusive resources and other benefits their stable monthly generosity also fuels everything we do here on Renewing Your Mind and truly good here. If you have benefited from Wegener through the years. I hope you'll consider becoming a monthly partner, it will have a generational impact like that of Bill and his dad back in the 80s when I was a young teenager. Father listen to RC and was a member of the paper book club so I was introduced to RC speaking throughout father as my dad would drive wherever we might be going but I was brought up in a reform debate but comment that as years went on a kind of got away from the truth of the reformed faith and got back in the listening to RC after my father's passing. In 2010 and I've just been blessed through the teachings of RCN licking their and am very thankful for what you guys do and continue to do and I hope you continue to do it for close were here is that amazing take of the month club is the precursor to our current ministry partner program meant because Bill's dad signed up to give a monthly gift. His son heard the truth of God's word in the backseat of their car. You can have that kind of impact when you sign up today and when you do this series referred this week will be available right away in your learning library along with the rest of the ministry partner library ministry partners also benefit from exclusive monthly messages. A subscription to table talk magazine and a Reformation study Bible, just to name a few.

Our phone number is 800-435-4343 or you can give your gift online and Renewing Your Mind.org/partner or if you're already a ministry partner would you consider raising your monthly commitment. We are grateful for your support, especially in this, our 50th anniversary year.

Dr. Strohl was never afraid to tackle difficult and often controversial theological topics.

He did that because the Bible addresses them. For example, predestination. Next week we will bring you his seminal work on that doctrine series chosen by God, so I hope you'll join us. Beginning Monday here on Renewing Your Mind