TITLE: They Tried But They Could Not Do It

TEXT: Matthew 22:41-46 ⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” ⁴³He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: ⁴⁴ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’? ⁴⁵If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ⁴⁶And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

PROPOSITION: Jesus faced opposition during His ministry.

QUESTION: What?

KEY WORD: Plots

READING: Same

1. Jesus is the Son of God.

2. Many groups of people tried to destroy him in many ways.

THEY TRIED - - - BUT THEY COULD NOT DO IT!

1. Prevent Him from growing to adulthood

   1. Matthew 2:16 – Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

2. Plot Against Him.

   1. Matthew 21:45-46 ⁴⁵Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

   2. Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.

   3. Matthew 22:34-35 ³⁴But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

   4. Matthew 22:41-46

   5. Matthew 26:4-5 ⁴and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. ⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

2. Answer Him.

   1. Matthew 22:42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

   2. Mark 11:28-30 ²⁸And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” ²⁹But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

   3. Matthew 22:46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

3. Destroy the Church.

   1. Matthew 16:18 gates of hell shall not prevail against it

   2. Daniel 2:44 not left to other people, it shall stand forever

   3. Acts 5:18-25 Peter and John

   4. Acts 5:40-42 ⁴⁰And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for ^His name. ⁴²And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

   5. Acts 7 Stephen stoned

   6. Acts 8:4 Scattered everywhere preaching the word

4. Resist the Gospel.

   1. Acts 7:57 Not listen – Stopped their ears

   2. Acts 24:25 Delay – Felix - more convenient season

   3. Acts 26:27-29 Procrastinate – Agrippa - Almost persuaded

   4. Matthew 23:37 Refuse – Gather you under my wings, you would not

5. Keep Jesus in the Tomb.

   1. Matthew 27:67 Make it sure, Seal it, set a watch

   2. Matthew 28:11-13 While guards slept, apostles stole the body

Conclusion: Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen.”