Good morning, everybody! Today we’ll be exploring Matthew chapters 21 and 22, continuing week two of our series through the gospels that we’re calling Crucififormity. Our focus is on what it means to be cross-shaped, how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus shape us as his followers, and how his kingdom works differently from the expectations of the world.
Before diving into the text, a few housekeeping items: our new round of classes begins today, and if you’re curious about them, pick up a handout by the front door. If you’re new to faith or the Bible, I highly recommend Rodney Kirkman’s Bible 101 class—it’s been receiving great reviews. Also, for anyone new to Daypring, we’d love to have you join our Discovering Daypring lunch after the second service around 12:30. It’s a great way to learn about who we are and how you might fit into the family here.
We started today with a word of prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to worship together and asking for His blessing over our study of His Word. Crucififormity is about being formed by the cross-shaped life of Christ—His self-sacrificial love, His death, and His resurrection. As we examine the final week of Jesus’ life, we’ve been asking two key questions: what kind of king is Jesus, and what kind of people does His kingdom produce? The character of the king shapes the culture of the kingdom, and we want to be shaped by His character.
In Matthew 21, we see Jesus stepping openly into His kingship. He enters Jerusalem fulfilling prophecy, cleanses the temple, and speaks with unmistakable authority, though this doesn’t make Him popular with the religious elite. They wanted a messiah who would consolidate power and throw out the Romans, but Jesus’ kingdom is radically different. He confronts corruption, welcomes outsiders, and elevates the marginalized, refusing to compromise even as tension builds toward the cross.
In Matthew 21 and 22, Jesus faces four distinct challenges from religious leaders, each attempting to trap Him: questions of authority, politics, theology, and morality. Each time, He answers with clarity, authority, and insight, exposing their hypocrisy and revealing the reality of God’s kingdom.
The first trap questions His authority. After overturning the temple tables, the leaders ask by what authority He acts. Jesus responds with a question about John the Baptist’s baptism, cleverly exposing their fear and unwillingness to act honestly. The second trap is political, involving the Pharisees and Herodians trying to ensnare Him on taxes. Jesus masterfully navigates this by saying, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” showing that while earthly authority has its place, ultimate allegiance belongs to God.
The third trap is theological, posed by the Sadducees who deny resurrection. They present a convoluted marriage scenario meant to ridicule belief in life after death. Jesus responds directly, explaining that resurrection life is unlike life on earth and uses their own scriptures to affirm that God is the God of the living, not the dead, thereby dismantling their flawed theology.
The fourth trap questions morality, asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds with the core of the law: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Every commandment and prophetic teaching hangs on these two realities, showing that obedience is rooted in love, not ritual or control.
Once all the traps are set aside, Jesus turns the tables with what Levi Vernon called His “mic drop.” He asks about the Messiah’s identity, quoting Psalm 110 to show that the Christ is both David’s son and David’s Lord, revealing His divine authority and identity. The religious leaders are left speechless, the temple courts fall silent, and no one dares question Him again.
So, what kind of king is Jesus? He invites before He judges, absorbs rejection without withdrawing His invitation, refuses to build His kingdom through coercion, and is unshaken by death because He trusts His Father. His kingdom is rooted in love, not power, and He is not just David’s son but David’s Lord—a crucifiform king whose wisdom and authority reflect God Himself.
And what kind of people does His kingdom produce? People who don’t retaliate but continue inviting and speaking truth with love, who give earthly authorities their due without surrendering their hope or allegiance, who face uncertainty and suffering with resurrection confidence, and whose obedience is costly love. A crucifiform king forms a crucifiform people—people who don’t grasp for control, who stand firm under pressure, and who embody love in tangible, sacrificial ways.
If Jesus is Lord, He gets our allegiance. And when we follow Him, we are shaped into the kind of people His kingdom needs—faithful, courageous, and cross-shaped.