Matthew 21:44…..Ready

Matthew 21:44…..Ready

21:44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Teaches if were to come to Jesus our pride has to take a back seat. (Will you throw your ego out the window for Jesus)” → Only in our brokenness will we begin to rely and lean on Christ. Our pride and self-confidence are what will keep Christ at arm’s length. He will not force His way into our lives. He desires that we come to Him and have our selfish will broke. C.H. Spurgeon, the great English preacher, once said: “When God wants to do an impossible task, He takes an impossible man and breaks him. We are but men, frail, feeble, and apt to faint.” Charles Swindoll comments on Spurgeon’s thought in this way. It is better to be broken and humble before God rather than allow life to break us down because of our prideful choices.

“Warns when we oppose and reject Jesus the only one were injuring and hurting is ourselves.” → It is not Christ who suffers from our rejection, but our own souls that bear the consequences. Charles Spurgeon put it “Those who stumble over Christ the chief cornerstone of the church are injured, they suffer grievous bruising and breaking but He remains unhurt.” If this is you stop hurting yourself by opposing Jesus and become part of the new people of God today!

“Teaches being broken by God may be painful, but a vital and necessary process of Salvation and growth.”→ Trials can be stepping stones or stumbling stones. The key is in how we respond—whether we allow God’s refining work to soften our hearts and open us to His grace or whether we resist and become hardened. If we embrace these moments, trusting in God’s wisdom even when it’s hard, we discover that the pain can shape us into people of deeper faith, compassion, and purpose. Our willingness to surrender during seasons of brokenness not only brings spiritual transformation but also equips us to support others who struggle, reflecting the love and strength that Christ offers through every challenge,  The way we respond to these moments of brokenness shapes our spiritual journey: when we submit to God’s refining work, our hearts become more receptive to His grace, wisdom, and love, transforming hardship into opportunities for deeper faith and renewed purpose. Rather than resisting or becoming bitter, embracing the process allows us to be molded into the likeness of Christ, making us stronger and more compassionate for others who struggle. Ultimately, the choice to let God use our brokenness for growth is what sets the foundation for lasting hope and true transformation in our lives.

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches its not if we will encounter Christ as the stone, but how we respond when we do that matters.

Demonstrates there’s a good kind of brokenness and a bad kind of brokenness. The first is associated with contrition, humility, and a broken spirit over sin. The other is prideful and defiant.

Warns to reject Jesus is like having a mountain of condemnation fall on your head, crushing and  pulverizing you into dust and nothingness.

Frees believers from taking revenge now, knowing Jesus’s future crushing of evildoers will not go unpunished.

Jesus’ line “He who Falls on this stone will be broken to pieces”- may look something like Peter’s repentance when Jesus asked him if he loved Him (John 21:15–17) where upon He confessed yes and was restated into fellowship. It could also apply to believers who are walking in disobedience, like Peter when he chastised Jesus for saying He was going to die.-(Matt/ 16:22-23) Or Paul’s post-conversion prior to his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus where he acknowledged his own ignorance in trying to Save himself by the works of the Law  (Philip 3:7-11, 1-Tim. 2:13) Or Jesus own brothers who did not initially believe in Him, but later went on to write the books of James and Jude in the New Testament. Not mention Job, who suffered immensely but ultimately trusted God’s wisdom; Jacob, who wrestled with God and yet was spared; and Moses, who hesitated because of his speech impediment but was used by God to lead his people. Other examples include Abraham, David, and Elijah all of whom had significant flaws and faced difficult trials but were not ultimately crushed by their experiences. 

Jesus’s line “But he on whom it falls, will crushed” might refer to those who reject Jesus as the religious leaders, who questioned His teachings and authority. The people in His hometown who did not believe in Him. The crowd who called for His crucifixion. This also includes whomever trusts in themselves; whomever thinks they are fine without Jesus; and whomever does not believe in Him; who sees no need to repent.

In ancient times it has been discovered that there was a Rabbinic saying that might be behind this and it goes like this “If a stone falls on a pot, it will smash the pot. If a pot falls on a stone, it will smash the pot” Meaning whether the stone falls on the pot, or the pot falls on the stone the results will be the same because the stone will not be broken. It’s a way of saying that if you have an encounter with Jesus Christ you have a collision of any kind with Him you will be crushed and pulverized. There’s no way around it.

Some schoolers believe that Jesus was actually referring to a second means of execution by stoning. Where a whole group of people would come together and stone a person to death. Others suggests another way they would execute people is that they would build a scalpel about 20 feet high and then throw the condemned man down on a stone and it would break his bones, especially his rib bones, causing him trouble breathing and eventually dying. If he didn’t die from that, they would finish him off by throwing a big stone down on top of Him crushing him to death.