Matthew 22:15-22 Republicans and Democrats

Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."  And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. [Matthew 22:15‭-‬22 NASB]

It is significant that the Pharisees joined with the Herodians against Jesus. They were political enemies. The pharisees were very pro-Israel. They resented any Roman interference and despised the Roman taxes. The Herodians were pro-Rome, believed that the Roman roads and building projects improved Israel, and supported the Roman taxes as a fair way to pay for those improvements.

These political enemies were brought together in a spirit of unity and cooperation because of Jesus. That is, they each saw Him as a threat, and joined forces to discredit Him. So they devised a question with no right answer.

The poll tax (also known as the census tax) was one denarius, paid yearly. A denarius is one day's wage for the average worker. If Jesus agreed that it was okay to pay the poll tax, He would be condemned by the vast majority of Jews who hated the tax. If He said that it was wrong to pay the tax, the Herodians would report Him for teaching sedition against Rome. If He said, "I don't know" He would have lost credibility for evading the question.

Jesus answer was, of course, brilliant. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."

The political climate in the United States is tense right now. The line dividing the liberal left from the conservative right is no longer a line, but a canyon. The middle ground has all but disappeared. The last time I engaged in political discussion (something I try to avoid) it was to try to point out the truth of both sides on an issue, and that there was room for agreement. It was made perfectly clear to me that there is no agreement and no compromise. Each side is fully convinced that they are right and that the other side is wrong.

I have friends who like to publish their political opinions on Facebook. Some of the most hateful content I have read has come from Christian friends. According to my Republican friends, all Democrats are evil, and are in league with the devil. Their goal, apparently, is to corrupt and ultimately enslave the masses. According to my Democrat friends, all Republicans are evil. The President is the embodiment of all things evil, and can do no right. If something appears to look good, then it must be a lie.

The truth is that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but He pours out His grace on us, and forgives us when we come to Him in faith.

There are both Republicans and Democrats who are lost and do the work of their father, the devil. They are power hungry political opportunists who are caught up in their sin. There are also Republicans and Democrats who are Christians, saved by the grace of God, and doing their best to live for Him.

As citizens in a republic we have the right to express our opinion. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we should express our opinion in a way that is uplifting and positive; that brings unity and not division; that promotes respect and honor, and not hate.

We have been taught, "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." [1 Peter 2:13-17 NASB]

We have a president instead of a king. But the meaning and application is clear. It is our obligation as Christians to submit ourselves to government authorities and honor them. He does not add the caveat "if you agree with them."

Paul said, "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior," [1 Timothy 2:1-3 NASB]

Don't post hateful comments online about your political enemies. Pray for them instead. Don't worry about the results; they are in God's hands. Even if the person you are praying for fails to respond to God, you will be changed by praying for them. In this, you will find peace.

Matthew 22:1-14 The Wedding Feast

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.  And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.  Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."'  But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,  and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.  But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.  Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.'  Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.   "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,  and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen." [Matthew 22:1‭-‬14 NASB]

A little over a year ago, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. It was the event of the year in England, and was even televised throughout the United States. The invitees to the wedding were the great and noble, the rich and famous. People flew from around the world to attend, because of the honor and prestige of being invited to a princes wedding.

A princes wedding feast would have been just as prestigious in Jesus' day as is today. Receiving an invitation would have been a great honor, and would have been of great benefit to the attendees socially and in business. To refuse such an invitation makes no sense. And that's the point.

Jesus is still speaking to the priests and elders of Israel. They are the ones invited to the feast, God is the king, and Jesus is the Son. Through His parable, Jesus is prophesying that Israel will reject the Messiah, and be destroyed, and that God's favor would turn elsewhere.

God extends His grace to everyone, including those whom society deem good or evil. All are invited equally.

This parable exposes three types of people who will not attend the wedding feast (enter the kingdom of heaven). First there are those who ignore the invitation. They go back to their farms or back to their business. The most common response to the gospel is to ignore it. "That's just religious talk. Let me get back to my ball game." They think that if they ignore it, it will go away.

The second group are those who mistreated and killed the kings slaves. They represent the people who are antagonistic to the gospel. In many countries around the world, Christians endure tremendous persecution. They are beaten, tortured and killed because of their faith in Jesus. Here in America, things aren't that bad. But there are powerful groups who would strip away our rights to worship freely. There are articles almost daily about the antagonism directed at Chick-fil-A because the owner is a Christian who believes in the Biblical definition of marriage. That is only one example of the attacks that are coming at Christians in America. It's not outright persecution. Yet.

The third group really messes with the minds of some theologians. In the parable, he heard and accepted the invitation, and was ushered into the banquet hall. Then he was found unworthy. There is a pithy Christian expression, "Once saved, always saved." Some people believe that once they have accepted the invitation to make Jesus their Lord, they can then live their life as they see fit. It's like they have a free pass. But Hebrews makes it very clear that this is not the case. "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame." [Hebrews 6:4-6 NASB]

Jesus said, "For many are called, but few are chosen." The invitation has been issued to everyone. The chosen are those who accept His invitation and live their lives for Him.

Matthew 21:33-46 Vine Growers

"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a  vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it , and built a tower , and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.  When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.  The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.  Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them.  But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?"  They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.  And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."   When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet. [Matthew 21:33‭-‬46 NASB]

In their arrogance the priests and elders thought that they were without reproach. In their national pride, they thought Israel was the only nation that God would choose. When they first heard the parable, they self-righteously condemned the vine-growers. When they understood that it was about them, they became offended on several levels.

Jesus challenged their perception of themselves as righteous. They followed the traditions, and offered all the right sacrifices in their time. They could not conceive of themselves as wicked wretches subject to the judgement of God.

Jesus reminded them of the prophets who had been sent to Israel, and who were subsequently killed. No doubt, the religious leaders condemned the actions of their forbears, but they failed to see that they were about to do even worse. Their ancestors had killed the servants, but they were about to kill the Son.

Jesus applied a well known Messianic prophecy to Himself. He quotes Psalm 118:22-23 referring to the cornerstone, an image which is used repeatedly as a metaphor of the Messiah. The priests and scribes have already rejected Jesus, therefore any allusions to the Messiah are equally and automatically rejected.

Jesus made the statement, "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it." This is perhaps the most offensive thing He could have said to one of Israel's leaders. They based much of their identity as "God's Chosen People", uniquely graced by Him, alone in the world. The very idea that God would take their chosen status and give it to another was unthinkable.

In fact, Israel was cut off for a time, and the blessing of God was given to the predominately Gentile body of believers. But Israel continues to hold a special and unique place in both history and prophecy. And one day, all of Israel will be saved, as it is written, "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written," [Romans 11:25-26 NASB]

It is important that we not become arrogant towards Israel. As Paul said, "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either." [Romans 11:17-21 NASB]

As Americans, we often think of ourselves as a Christian nation, blessed by God. I believe that God has blessed us greatly. But as time goes on, we are becoming less and less Christian. More and more pagan religions are being embraced. And many so-called Christian churches have abandoned the gospel in favor of social reform. If God rejected Israel, how much more likely is He to reject America.

We need to intercede on behalf of our nation. Let us pray that the kingdom of God will come, that the Spirit of God will draw the nation to Him, and that righteousness will prevail.

Matthew 12:28-32 Sin in the Pulpit

"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'  And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.  The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him. [Matthew 21:28‭-‬32 NASB]

This is a follow up to the priests and elders challenge to Jesus' authority. Jesus had asked them, "The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." [Matthew 21:25-27 NASB]

I was recently talking with my sister about heaven. We agreed with no doubt that our mother is in heaven now, enjoying the presence of Jesus. The fate of a certain other man we know is...less certain. The fruit of this man's life did not show any spiritual goodness. Nor did he ever acknowledge Jesus (that we know of). However, since we are both familiar with the Bible, we agreed that it is not our place to judge his eternal state. God's grace is enough to make a deathbed conversion wipe away a lifetime of sin, just as the thief on the cross was promised, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” [Luke 23:43 NASB]

I know another man who has spent his entire life carousing, drinking and using drugs. I have seen this man confess faith in Jesus. And, even now, I see evidence of the Holy Spirit strengthening him to overcome his addictions. I fully expect to meet him one day in heaven.

On the other hand, there are preachers and church leaders who think their status will guarantee them a place in heaven. But they preach lies and false doctrines, leading their followers astray. They teach that homosexuality is a normal and healthy lifestyle. Many engage in the lifestyle themselves, and teach others to do the same in the name Jesus. This in spite of the Biblical teaching that homosexuality is sin (see Romans 1:26,27).

Homosexuals should be welcomed in church, where they can meet Jesus, hear sound teaching, and turn from their sins. The Bible teaches that we have all sinned. None of us comes to Christ guilt-free. He calls us all to turn away from our sins. Just as the woman caught in adultery was told, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” [John 8:11 NASB]

There are others who teach a gospel of greed. "If you just do these things, God will make you rich". Funny how "these things" always seem to involve donating to the preacher or buying his books. Of course, Jesus never taught any such thing. If wealth was a measure of spirituality, why did he praise the poor widow who gave a penny, and condemn the wealthy who gave much more? Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 19:23 NASB]

Unfortunately, there are many more examples of heresies, of pastors using their church as a power base for their own little fiefdom, and of sin being practiced by the clergy and promoted from the pulpit. These are those of whom Jesus said, "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." [Matthew 15:14 NASB]

One day, it will be up to God to judge them. For now, we need to have our own relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. We need to study and know the Word of God, so that we will recognize error when we hear it. 

Most importantly, if we find ourselves being led by a blind guide, we need to open our eyes and get out of line.

If you recognize that your pastor or leader is teaching false doctrine, or that sin is being promoted as normal, then you need to get out of that church. Do not remain under that leadership, lest you be dragged down into hell with them.

Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus' Authority

When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?" Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?" And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet." And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. [Matthew 21:23‭-‬27 NASB]

When the chief priests and elders came to Jesus, their minds were not on spiritual matters. They were expecting Him to say, "It is My own authority." Then they could discredit Him. Or they may have been looking for a name, such as, "Nicodemus gave me authority." So they could tear down the authority.

Jesus immediately turned the conversation from earthly to spiritual when He asked them about John the Baptist. The priests were consummate politicians. Unwilling to express their own opinions, they debated which answer to give, based on the reaction of the people.

At first glance, this seems like an evasion on Jesus' part. In reality, He answered them by the nature of His question. He identified with John the Baptist, so the strong implication is that Jesus is operating under the same authority as John the Baptist. His authority came from heaven, which is to say, from God.

The question of Jesus' authority is still being challenged today in one form or another.

Some people, who are in complete denial, say that Jesus didn't even exist, and the whole gospel story is nothing more than a myth, or a morality story. This is in spite of the fact that the weight of historical data proves them wrong. Jesus was no myth. He lived and He died. The question is; what do you believe about Him?

Others say that Jesus existed, but was nothing more than a teacher and spiritual leader, no different than Buddha. They would answer Jesus' question by saying that His authority came from men. Without followers, he would have been just another spiritual seeker who lived and died in obscurity.

For those of us who put our faith in Him, He is the Son of God, come to earth with all of heaven's authority. He not only lived and died, but He rose again on the third day. By His death on the cross, He paid the penalty for all of our sins, so that we can be forgiven and ushered into the kingdom of God.

When we read Jesus' words in the Bible, we need to remember that this is not a man offering his point of view, this is God in the flesh, speaking truth.

Jesus said some things that are hard to hear, "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also." [Matthew 5:39-40 NASB]

It is not an option to say, "Sorry, but I'm just not in that place." This is GOD talking. Get in that place.

You can question my authority all you want. But Jesus' authority is indisputable.

Matthew 21:18-22 A Dangerous Scripture

Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered.  Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree wither all at once?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen.  And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." [Matthew 21:18‭-‬22 NASB]

I'm reminded of an old saying that I used to tell my son when he was being particularly mischievous, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

For me, it was just a lighthearted reminder to my son to mind his manners. For Jesus, it was the real deal. The Creator of all things showed that He is also the un-Creator.

For three years, Jesus' disciples saw Him heal the sick, raise the dead, walk on water, calm the storms, and multiply fish and loaves. They were accustomed to His creative miracles, and no longer questioned them. But this was the first time they had seen the power of Jesus' curse, and they were amazed.

Of course, Jesus never did anything without a reason, and the barren fig tree made for a wonderful teaching opportunity.

I'm sure plenty of preachers can apply analogous meaning to the tree itself, "If there is no fruit in your life, you are still dead in your sins." And so on. But Jesus never drew such allusions.

To Jesus, the teaching moment was about faith. He concluded, "All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

This is possibly one of the most dangerous and misapplied passages in the Bible. Why dangerous? Because when people speak out in "faith", and nothing happens, they begin to doubt God and, by extension, their salvation.

The first rule of Bible interpretation is to take everything in context. By context, I don't just mean the surrounding verses, but the context of the whole Bible.

Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." [John 15:7 NASB] Please understand the meaning here. He is not saying that God is a genie who will grant your wishes. There are conditions: abide in Jesus and let His words abide in you. It can be rephrased to say, "When your thoughts and wishes are the same as My thoughts and wishes, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

One often quoted scripture reads, "Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." [Psalm 37:4 NASB] I hear people quoting this verse, saying, "I desire a new car (or a new house, or a new whatever), so that's what God's going to give me." By conveniently skimming over the first part of the verse, we miss what it really means. If you delight in the Lord, then He is your desire. This verse could be read, "If you desire the Lord, then He will give you your desire. "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." [Jeremiah 29:13 NASB]

James said, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." [James 4:3 NASB]

When Jesus said, "if you have faith and do not doubt," it wasn't an isolated statement without context. He didn't mean, "Have faith in faith." He didn't mean, "Have faith in your words," or "Have faith in yourself." Jesus didn't coin the phrase, "Name it and claim it."

He means that we should have faith enough to know God, to know His will and to be able to speak God's words on earth. When you KNOW that it is God's will for a mountain to be moved, then you will have the proper faith to speak to the mountain and see it move. 

The only way to know God's will is to know God. The only way to truly know Him is to spend time with Him. I'm not talking about taking your allotted time to pray through the Lord's prayer and offer your petitions, but taking quality time to have conversation.

How would feel about a friend who, every time you meet, says something like, "Hi, it's great to see you, your such a good friend. Say, I need five dollars, oh and can I have your car? I need a new one and see that you have an extra. Oh, and I want to intercede on behalf of my other friend, Arnold. He's in a jam and needs a few hundred dollars. Could you give that to Him? Hey, thanks. Sorry about wrecking your other car, but I know you'll forgive me. Well, gotta go. Bye."

Yet that is how we often approach God in prayer. Why not stop and ask God what He wants? Find out what is on His mind? Take the time to develop a real relationship with God. Put His desires before your own. The rest will work out. You'll see. Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." [Matthew 6:33 NASB]

Matthew 12:12-17 Cleansing the Temple

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den."  And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself'?"  And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there. [Matthew 21:12‭-‬17 NASB]

 This is the second time Jesus has cleared the temple. The first time was at the beginning of His ministry, when He went up to Jerusalem for Passover (John 2:12-25). This second time is also at the Passover, but at the end of His ministry.

The practice at the time was for the merchants to make a deal with the priests. The priest would place a mark of approval on the offering, which was then sold in the temple at highly inflated rates. For example, a dove sold outside the temple sold for about the equivalent of 25 cents. Inside the temple, the dove would sell for $5.00. The priests would examine the offering purchased outside the temple and declare it unfit for sacrifice, forcing the worshipers to buy inside the temple. The priests got a percentage of the sale.

The priests also got a percentage of the money changers' profits. They declared that the shekel was the only money acceptable for the temple treasury. In a Roman dominated society where Roman currency was used everywhere else, people didn't have shekels so they were forced to change their denarii into shekels at an exorbitant exchange rate. While the priests only accepted shekels into the offering, they apparently had no problem spending the Roman money.

No doubt they justified their actions as "good business". After all, it was done "in support of the temple".

There is no indication that Jesus' actions that day achieved, or even attempted to achieve, true reform. Instead, it was a teaching moment for His disciples. He's saying, "See what religion has done. It has taken a place of worship and turned it into something else." He is telling us to be careful not to do the same. Don't defraud one another. Don't use religion as an excuse to grab for money or power. Don't turn the church into a marketplace, even if it's done "in support of the church".

With their religious blinders, the priests saw the wonderful things that Jesus was doing - healing the lame and the blind - and condemned Him. And in their ignorance, they chastised God Himself for receiving praise from the children.

Do you let religion lead you instead of the Holy Spirit? Do you condemn others who don't match your ideas of what religion should look like? Do you allow the traditions and doctrines of religion guide you instead of being open to the truth of the Holy Bible? Does your religion keep you from worshiping God as freely and as innocently as a child?

Don't let religion prevent you from knowing Jesus. Come to Him without expectations or preconceived notions. Pray and read the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal Him to you. The Jesus of the Bible is very different than the Jesus who is preached in many churches.

The Bible teaches us that we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus wasn't founding a religion, he was creating a family.