The Authority of the King: Part 3 (Matthew 9:18–34)

Most  are familiar with this cinematic scene: A bomb with a visible timer is counting down to detonation and, apparently, the only way to disarm it  is to cut one of its two exposed wires. One, if snipped, will shut the bomb off while the other will set it off. It’s a binary choice with life at stake and time running out.

In  many ways, that’s the situation Israel was facing in Matthew 9. They had a decision to make about Jesus: Is he the Messiah or not? It was a  binary choice with life at stake and the clock ticking. Now, unlike in the movies where the choice is often guesswork, Israel’s is not. In addition to national expectation and scriptural prediction, since 8:1, Jesus has been providing evidence, authenticating his authority through healings, exorcisms, and fulfilled prophecies. Which wire will the  nation cut? Which choice will you and I make?

Key Scripture: Matthew 9:18–34

Speaker: Josiah Boyd