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Date: April 13, 2025

Lord’s Day: 15 (Palm Sunday)

Series: Redeeming Ruth

Title: The Work of Christ

Text: Matthew 26:30-35, 69-75

Last week in our time together we were in Ruth chapter 3.  Naomi had instructed Ruth to go to the Barley Harvest Party.  Naomi was trying to attain by works, what Ruth had earlier in our story received by grace.

Namely, Ruth had gone to the fields looking for someone to be gracious to her, seeking God’s blessing.  But now that the season is over and no more romantic sparks were flying, Naomi was answering the question: How can I make this relationship work?  Her answer, have Ruth get all dolled up and send her to the party and ultimately at the foot of the bed of Boaz, waiting for him to tell her what to do.

The comparison for us is that for many believers, this is how our relationship with Jesus tends to go.  What begins as grace tends to go toward works. 

But just as I learned as a young boy, this is a burden we can’t bear.  It is too heavy for us.

We began with an example last week and we will pick up this week to complete the thought.  I can think of no better place to allow this to play out than our text today.

It is one of the more recognizable passages that nearly all of those in the faith are aware of Peter’s denials and even a sizable portion of those who are not believers also know.

PREDICTION

The Mount of Olives is just outside Jerusalem and to the east.  After instituting the Lord’s Supper, they sing a hymn and head towards the Mount and it is here that Jesus, surrounded by the apostles and he tells them they are all going to fall away.  He quotes the prophet Zechariah.

Peter speaks up, “Not me.  Even if everyone abandons you, I never will.”

Jesus replies, “You too Peter.  Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.

Peter doubles down, “I won’t.  I will not deny you, even if I have to die I will not deny you.”

It is at this place that a couple things need to be highlighted:

1. Peter puts his name on this. He is the one who spoke up.  He is the one speaking and is very adamant. But it also says, ALL THE OTHERS SAID THE SAME THING.  This is the part of the story that is often forgotten.  They all were in agreement with Peter.
2. Peter meant what he said. I am convinced that with every fiber of his being Peter meant what he said.  He has seen all the works of Jesus.  He has seen him heal and feed many.  He has seen people being raised from the dead.  He just experienced the Palm entrance into Jerusalem full of singing and praise.  He has just had the Passover meal with Jesus.  Peter is all in.  You can’t find anyone more all in than Peter.  He is feeling it. He is in the moment.  He is all in and committed.

He is not alone.  In this moment all of these men around Jesus are all in on Jesus.  Again, Peter is vocal.

Regarding our subject, what starts as grace turns into works, this passage jumps out.  We can feel so committed.  We set our minds on something regarding growth in Christ.  This is what Paul was fighting with in Galatians 3 “having begun by the Spirit are you being perfected by the flesh?”

CHRISTIAN WORKOUT

So this is the Christian life.  We get saved and we are so grateful.  Those first few weeks or months we are on cloud nine, floating like an angel.  We are giving money out to the beggars on the street corner.  We are carrying our Bibles everywhere we go.

It is a lot like working out.  Every January at the gym there is this huge influx of people.  These are the new year’s resolution people.

They are getting up early, going in before work.  They have changed their diet for a couple of days.  They are putting aside the Coke and Pepsi and French Fries and Donuts.  They start eating some Greek yogurt and protein shakes.

They go and get some new shoes and maybe some workout gear.  Nice pair of pants and dry fit shirts to sweat in.  They get some workout gloves, socks and fancy thing to hold their phone and some ear pods.  They are all in. 

But in 21 days, things begin to get a little more sparse.  The room clears little by little.  They tend to sleep in and the motivation is dissipating.   Before long, it is back to the same people that were there last November.

There are many similarities with our Spiritual life.  Then we want to get back on track.  What can I do to make this work?  What can I do to help Jesus?  What can I do for God?

What I am about to say may sting some of you a little bit.  But I want each of you to embrace it because it is true.

The only thing I bring to this relationship with Jesus is sin and brokenness.  I contribute nothing but sin.  The same is true for all of us.  I will explain it more here in a bit but I want that to sink in.  In reality this is good news. 

When Paul said, “having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” What did he mean?  In what way did our life in Christ begin by the Spirit? I will give you 3 examples.

Ezekiel 36:25-27

This is a passage that I will come back to frequently.  I can’t believe I have been here almost two months, and I have not brought it up yet.  It is one of the most significant passages of Scripture in the Old Testament.  Jeremiah 31 has the exact same message as this passage.  I will mention this passage frequently.  A teacher’s best friend is repetition, repetition, repetition.

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

This is the work of God in the New Covenant.  It will involve God placing the Spirit within the believer.  This is a work of God.  What will this Spirit do for the believer?

This is the work of God.

The work of God is mentioned six times.

What does God do in the New Covenant to the believer,

I will cleanse you.

I will sprinkle this water on you.

I will give you a new heart.

I will give you a new Spirit

This Spirit is IN the believer.

This Spirit will be the causal power to love righteousness.

This is exactly what Paul is referring to.  Having begun by the Spirit are being perfected by the flesh.  You did not begin this journey in the flesh. 

John 3

It is being born from above as we learn from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3.  Jesus is referring to this very thing.  You must be born again Nicodemus.  No one can see the kingdom unless he is born again. 

The word for again is anothen.  It means, being born from above.  Jesus then not only repeats that those in the kingdom are born from above but he then describes how it is done, through the Spirit. 

Everyone in the kingdom is born of the water and the Spirit.  Does this not sound like our Ezekiel 36 passage?  Does it not fit together so perfectly? 

That which is born of flesh is flesh, but that which is born of Spirit is Spirit.  This is how it looks for the believer. 

This is what Paul is referring to when he says, “Having begun by the Spirit are you being perfected by the flesh.”  God did this work in you, this new birth work.  New creation. 

Philippians 1:6 He who began this work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ.  Who is the He?  The He is God.  God began a work in you and He will be so persistent and because you have the Spirit of God in you, you will love this work.

Here is the issue: Peter is so sure, so confident that he will be successful during Jesus’ trial.  So were the other apostles.  They were in lock step.

But yet, what happened?  He failed.  He was confronted by a teenage girl.  He did not even get confronted by a guard or a judge.  Just some random servant girl.  He buckles. 

The location of Peter is interesting.  In Luke’s account, it states that Peter was following from a distance. 

The end result is failure.  This result led to Peter weeping. 

We go back to our story of Ruth and Naomi.  What started with Ruth seeking grace has turned into Naomi working as hard as she can. 

When we turn from grace to works it will ultimately end exactly as it did for Peter. 

We will either be completely arrogant, or completely broken.  If we are honest, it will be on the broken end.