Matthew 1 – The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament …
Matthew
28 posts
Matthew 2 – Remarkably, the calendar we all depend on was originally created around Jesus’ birth. Medieval creators tried to set Jesus’s birth at A.D. 1 in order to properly date events, however, they were slightly off. …
Matthew 3 – Photo credit: Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary Pictured is the traditionally accepted site (the Jordan River) for the baptism of Jesus. As I read this chapter, there are many questions that come to mind. Why …
Matthew 4 – “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1 NASB Wow! What a chapter! Let’s read and re-read this opening verse. Satan didn’t just …
Matthew 5 – I love the depth and practicality of Jesus’ message here. Many of his critics thought he was abolishing the law. In his teaching, Jesus was verifying that the law is both temporary and eternal. …
Matthew 6 – The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Many people came to hear about the kingdom and left hearing about a lifestyle in the kingdom. I would imagine most people who came to hear Jesus …
Matthew 7 – Judge not so you will not be judged. What was Jesus getting at here? This is a quote that is so often misrepresented, in my opinion. Was Jesus saying we should lower our standard …
Matthew 8 – Jesus marveled. It’s a strong phrase. What was it like for Jesus to marvel? What did it take? It was definitely a rare event. The only other time we read that Jesus marveled is …
Matthew 9 – Interestingly, as Matthew writes his account of his own selection as a disciple, he chooses to use his new name, Matthew, instead of his old name, Levi. As Levi, he was a tax collector, …
Matthew 10 – Jesus’ selections were complete. Among his disciples were some strange picks by human standards. Among those chosen were a tax collector, several fishermen, and a religious zealot who opposed Rome. Many were unschooled men. …
Matthew 11 – Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John the Baptist. As prophecy foretold, in Malachi, there would be a forerunner. “Behold, I am going to …
Matthew 12 – This chapter contains the controversial “unpardonable sin” which involves blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The first question we must ask is, what is blasphemy of the Spirit and how is it different from blasphemy …
Matthew 13 – Here in Matthew 13, there are so many great parables it is hard to just reflect on one aspect of this chapter! You could do an in-depth study of each story. I want to …
Matthew 14 – The miraculous feeding of the 5000 is recorded in all 4 Gospels. Matthew 14:21 specifies 5,000 males, and further emphasizes the point by adding, “Besides women and children.” Many Bible scholars believe the actual …
Matthew 15 – It’s the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It’s the realization that I wasted my life. I can’t imagine a more horrifying reaction than those who thought they were living …
Matthew 16 – The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political parties during the time of Jesus. There were also the Herodians, the Zealots, and the Essenes. The …
Matthew 17 – The half-shekel tax was equivalent to about 2 days of wages. It was collected annually from every male Jew above the age of 20. This was required for the upkeep of the temple. It …
Matthew 18 – How do you approach confrontation and accountability in the church? The worldview of Jesus was not simply focused on “winning your brother” for the sake of a good deed, but because each person has …
Matthew 19 – The topic of divorce was a hot-button issue back in Jesus’ time, and it remains the same today. Back then, it was the issue that ultimately landed John the Baptist in prison shortly before …
Matthew 20 – Our plans and God’s plans never really pan out the same. He gives us the main idea, but the details are usually mysterious and unexpected. God is not predictable. You can’t put Him in …
Matthew 21 – During the Passover festival, scores of Jews came from all over Israel and the Roman Empire to worship and celebrate. Since many traveled long distances, it was cumbersome to carry with them their animal …
Matthew 22 – The Sadducees and Pharisees were always playing games with Jesus. They, like some today, thought they could outsmart God. Here in Matthew 22, we find some intense back-and-forth debating from the teachers of the …
Matthew 23 – Jesus uses a lot of phrases of that time period to describe what the Pharisees were like. In this scathing rebuke, it’s important to understand what He was talking about so we can relate …
Matthew 24 – There is a break between verses 2 and 3 that separate the thoughts of Jesus. He starts by describing the ransacking of Jerusalem which eventually happened in 70 AD. Legend has it that future …
Matthew 25 – Leonard Kevin Bias was born on November 17, 1963, in Landover, Maryland. He was a tall, quiet young boy who was nicknamed “Frosty” by his pastor at church because of his cold, relaxed attitude. …
Matthew 26 – Judas Iscariot is an interesting person to study. There are so many questions that center around his existence and ministry alongside Jesus. First, we must realize that even before Satan entered him, Judas had …
Matthew 27 – Although we are typically hard on the Pharisees in Scripture, there were a few who sincerely had a heart change through Jesus’ ministry. Joseph of Arimathea was one of these men. Mark and Luke …
Matthew 28 – The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real man who died, but few will place their faith in His divinity. Naturally, more people take issue …