Faith in Real Life - True Religion

Main Sermon Points

• Introduction
  • Why is Jesus suddenly so angry?
  • What is this weird idea of of cursing a poor tree?
  • Who would like to throw mountains in the water anyway?
• Context
  • Jesus just arrived in Jerusaleum
  • Entered as king, but was not received
  • A great clash between Jesus and the chief priests is set up
• Shutting down the temple
• Issues with the temple
• A house of all nations
  • Isaiah 56:7, A house of prayer for all nations
  • Isaiah speaks of a universal service
  • Jesus criticizes the divisions within society the priests insisted on
• A den of robbers
  • Jememiah 7:11
  • The whole chapter is a call to justice
• Issues with the temple
  • "Partnership with God cannot be confined or reduced to mere "spiritual attitudes, to devout feelings...It requires a whole persons life, in all it's aspects and relationships. Man can have no real part in holiness without the sanctification of his everyday life" (Martin Buber)
• Issues with the temple
  • God demands a wholehearted devotion
  • No parts of it is more (or less) sacred than the rest
• Prayer
  • Peter sees the withered fig tree and marvels
  • Jesus stresses the importance of of having faith in God
  • The disciples paid a very high price for standing up against the high-priests