Matthew 27
v 9 This fulfilled the thirty pieces of silver--the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter's field, as the Lord directed.
v 22 Pilate responded, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
v26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a led-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify.
v35a After they had nailed him to the cross....
v42a "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself."
v50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.
v51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Matthew 28
v1a Early on Sunday morning (first day of the week) as the new day was dawning...
v2 Suddenly there was an earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.
v5 Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified....He is risen from the dead!"
v13 (Jewish Leaders) They told the soldiers, "You must say Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping and they stole his body."
v18 (in Galilee) Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given authority in heaven and on earth.
v19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
v20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
My Take:
1. It is absurd that Jesus, the One whom all things on Earth were created through, was valued at thirty pieces of silver. Lesson: When people try to put a "low price" on you, they did the same thing to Jesus. Ignore them.
2. Jesus was flogged with a led-tip whip. We are told in Isiah: By His stripes, we are healed. Thus fulfilling the prophecy.
3. Jesus was nailed to a cross.
4. He was scoffed at.
5. Jesus released his spirit, and died. He had the ability to give up his life--when he wanted to.
6. Then the curtain that separated the holiness of God from man was torn in two--from top to bottom. Jesus had bridged that separation!!
7. The first day of the week became the Christians sabbath due to the resurrection of Jesus.
8. Drama! An earthquake, a stone getting rolled away, and an angel sitting on top!!
The angel told the women--who were the first to seek to take care of Jesus after the Jewish Sabbath--Jesus has risen!!!
9. Right away, the Jewish Leaders try to dispute the Resurrection.
10. Jesus appeared to his disciples.
11. He told them to go. make disciples. baptize them. teach all he had commanded.
12. Jesus will always be with His followers!
***That leaves only 1 question for you and me. It is the one Jesus asked His disciples a few days earlier: WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?!***
Monday, October 29, 2018
Monday, October 22, 2018
Lessons from Matthew; Part 6
Chapter 24
v. 27 Just as the lighting flashes in the east and shines in the west, so will it be when the Son of Man comes.
v. 36 However, no-one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.
v. 42 So you, too must keep watch! For you don't know what day the Lord is coming!
v. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Matthew 25
v. 21 The Master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you more responsibilities."
v. 40 And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you were doing it to me."
Matthew 26
v. 2 (Jesus) As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.
v. 7 While he (Jesus) was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of perfume and poured it over his head.
v. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed.
v. 26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to his disciples saying, 'Take this and eat it, for this is my body.'
v. 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, 'Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.'
v. 39 He went a little further and bowed with his face to the ground, praying : My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.
My Take
Jesus tells us how he will return.
We do not know when he will return, must we must stay ready. Our lives should reflect this readiness.
When we help the ones that are the least, we help Jesus. Which brings the question, "Who is the least?" Since we are not to judge, I believe we should help EVERYBODY! I have a loooong way to go. God, help me!
Jesus predicts his own death.
The act of the woman who poured the expensive perfume over Jesus' head is so important, her deed will be told wherever the Good News is preached. I wonder the reason. Could it be she gave all she had? Could it be she was obedient to God? Could it be she prepared Jesus' body for burial? Could it be for another reason?
Jesus explains Communion and its significance. The breaking of Jesus' body and the blood pouring from his body is the New Covenant between God and people. Now, people other than Jews can be saved in our belief in Jesus.
Jesus prayed tremendously hard! He knew what awaited him. In the end, he said 'yes' to God and 'yes' for us! THANK YOU, LORD JESUS FOR SAYING YES!!!
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Lessons from Matthew; Part 5
Matthew 20
v. 16 So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.
v. 27 And whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
Matthew 21; Jesus' Triumphant Entry
v. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
v. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and cut branches from trees and spread them across the road.
Matthew 22
v. 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
v. 33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teachings.
Matthew 23
v. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
v. 23 ...justice, mercy, and faith...you should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
v. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!
v 28 speaks of inside is hypocrisy and lawlessness
v. Jesus, speaking of Jerusalem, wanted to...as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.
v. 39 ...blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
My Take:
Jesus is Lord! He fulfilled the scripture concerning the Messiah.
Jesus taught us how to live. We need to be humble. We should worship Jesus as God.
Let us be amazed and astounded at the teachings of Jesus!
Let us seek to show: justice, mercy, and faith!
Our teachers of God's Word, our pastors, and others should be blessed if they come in the name of the Lord.
v. 16 So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.
v. 27 And whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
Matthew 21; Jesus' Triumphant Entry
v. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
v. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and cut branches from trees and spread them across the road.
Matthew 22
v. 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
v. 33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teachings.
Matthew 23
v. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
v. 23 ...justice, mercy, and faith...you should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
v. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!
v 28 speaks of inside is hypocrisy and lawlessness
v. Jesus, speaking of Jerusalem, wanted to...as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.
v. 39 ...blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
My Take:
Jesus is Lord! He fulfilled the scripture concerning the Messiah.
Jesus taught us how to live. We need to be humble. We should worship Jesus as God.
Let us be amazed and astounded at the teachings of Jesus!
Let us seek to show: justice, mercy, and faith!
Our teachers of God's Word, our pastors, and others should be blessed if they come in the name of the Lord.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Lessons from Matthew Part 4; Am I Listening?
Prelude: James 1:19; Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
With this directive from God, let it serve as the backdrop for the following lessons from Matthew.
Matthew 16:26a; And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?
How much time, money, focus, and effort to we spend on things of this world? If we are not careful, we will seek to win something of this world. God has called us to seek Him first. to love Him above all else. to keep our focus on Him.
So why do we live like we do as garden variety American Christians? Let's refocus on God and not the world.
Matthew 17:26b; ...if you have the faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, move from here to there and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.
Let me recommend the book Mead Mountain by B K Del. It might give you a fresh look at this verse.
Matthew 18:12; If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hill and go out to search for the one that is lost.
I need no other illustration of God's love for me. just me. and just you!
Matthew 19:25; The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.
Matthew 19:26; Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.
Am I listening? It is not the church! It is not the preacher! It is not the type of songs at Worship!
It is God and God alone who saves!!
With this directive from God, let it serve as the backdrop for the following lessons from Matthew.
Matthew 16:26a; And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?
How much time, money, focus, and effort to we spend on things of this world? If we are not careful, we will seek to win something of this world. God has called us to seek Him first. to love Him above all else. to keep our focus on Him.
So why do we live like we do as garden variety American Christians? Let's refocus on God and not the world.
Matthew 17:26b; ...if you have the faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, move from here to there and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.
Let me recommend the book Mead Mountain by B K Del. It might give you a fresh look at this verse.
Matthew 18:12; If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hill and go out to search for the one that is lost.
I need no other illustration of God's love for me. just me. and just you!
Matthew 19:25; The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.
Matthew 19:26; Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.
Am I listening? It is not the church! It is not the preacher! It is not the type of songs at Worship!
It is God and God alone who saves!!
Monday, October 1, 2018
Lessons from Matthew Part 3; Are You a Water-Walker?
Matthew 14 and 15 certainly challenges us to have faith over fear, with the most dramatic part of Peter walking on the water after he saw Jesus being a water-walker.
The underlining faith question is do we believe God's word. This is applicable today as it was 2000 years ago. With that said, I direct your attention to Jesus' answer of what to do about feeding the 5000 ((men) I predict there were about 12,000 to 15,000 people in all, which is easily the size of Vidalia.)
In Matthew 14:16, Jesus tells the disciples, "You feed them." This is a major call to faith. I wonder if they even considered Jesus' response. But there was a dab of consideration.
Matthew 14:17 reads But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish. Hmmm. If the disciples were thinking earthly, this statement would not have been made. I mean, that might feed 5....Nah, not even 5! But 5000?!
Lesson 1; God uses what we have. Matthew 14:18; Jesus says, "Bring them here." He went on to bless the food, feed the 5,000 (or 12,000 to 15,000). There were 12 baskets left over.
So, what little do you have that God can use? That He can multiply? That He can miraclize?
Seven verses later, Matthew 14:25, About 3 AM, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
Peter sees the Water-Walker and he wants to become one! (Matt 14:28)
Sure enough in verse 29, Peter walked on the water! Uh oh! Verse 30; But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Verse 31; Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"
Lesson 2; Keep our eyes on Jesus and not the strong winds and waves! Have complete faith in Jesus. Wow! Peter is a water-walker! That took a lot of faith! There are just a few times that I have had water-walking faith. But, when I did, there was NO doubting God! What happened to make Peter sink? He allowed himself to become afraid because he trusted the power of the wind and waves more than the power of Jesus? Have you ever done that? You are not alone. However, Jesus calls us to have water-walking faith---trust God more than His creation!!
Chapter 15 reveals a lady of great faith! of persistent faith!
Matthew 15:27; She replied, "That's true Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fell beneath their master's table."
Matthew 15:28; "Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "Your faith is great. Your request is granted." And instantly her daughter was healed.
Lesson 3; Have humble but persistent faith! This woman would not let it go! We should also continue to seek God as she did.
One chapter later from the question of how to feed the 5,000, the disciples are faced with almost the same dilemma.
Matthew 34-38 There are 4,000 (men) to feed. What should they do? They produce seven loaves and a few fish. Jesus blesses the food and feeds them all!
Lesson 4; When Jesus teaches you a lesson, be a learner and faithful follower.
How can I have this water-walking, willing to give what I have, humble and persistent, good-learner and faithful follower...type of faith?!
We must allow God to change our hearts. After Jesus was questioned about His disciples not following the age-old tradition of washing their hands, here are key elements of His response.
Matthew 15:18; These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:19; Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.
Matthew 15:16; "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. 17. Anything you eat, passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18. But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you. 19. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you."
Lesson 5; Obey God over People If you are faced with a conflict of God's command and a person's command, always go with God. No matter the cost! God will provide for you!!
The underlining faith question is do we believe God's word. This is applicable today as it was 2000 years ago. With that said, I direct your attention to Jesus' answer of what to do about feeding the 5000 ((men) I predict there were about 12,000 to 15,000 people in all, which is easily the size of Vidalia.)
In Matthew 14:16, Jesus tells the disciples, "You feed them." This is a major call to faith. I wonder if they even considered Jesus' response. But there was a dab of consideration.
Matthew 14:17 reads But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish. Hmmm. If the disciples were thinking earthly, this statement would not have been made. I mean, that might feed 5....Nah, not even 5! But 5000?!
Lesson 1; God uses what we have. Matthew 14:18; Jesus says, "Bring them here." He went on to bless the food, feed the 5,000 (or 12,000 to 15,000). There were 12 baskets left over.
So, what little do you have that God can use? That He can multiply? That He can miraclize?
Seven verses later, Matthew 14:25, About 3 AM, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
Peter sees the Water-Walker and he wants to become one! (Matt 14:28)
Sure enough in verse 29, Peter walked on the water! Uh oh! Verse 30; But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Verse 31; Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"
Lesson 2; Keep our eyes on Jesus and not the strong winds and waves! Have complete faith in Jesus. Wow! Peter is a water-walker! That took a lot of faith! There are just a few times that I have had water-walking faith. But, when I did, there was NO doubting God! What happened to make Peter sink? He allowed himself to become afraid because he trusted the power of the wind and waves more than the power of Jesus? Have you ever done that? You are not alone. However, Jesus calls us to have water-walking faith---trust God more than His creation!!
Chapter 15 reveals a lady of great faith! of persistent faith!
Matthew 15:27; She replied, "That's true Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fell beneath their master's table."
Matthew 15:28; "Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "Your faith is great. Your request is granted." And instantly her daughter was healed.
Lesson 3; Have humble but persistent faith! This woman would not let it go! We should also continue to seek God as she did.
One chapter later from the question of how to feed the 5,000, the disciples are faced with almost the same dilemma.
Matthew 34-38 There are 4,000 (men) to feed. What should they do? They produce seven loaves and a few fish. Jesus blesses the food and feeds them all!
Lesson 4; When Jesus teaches you a lesson, be a learner and faithful follower.
How can I have this water-walking, willing to give what I have, humble and persistent, good-learner and faithful follower...type of faith?!
We must allow God to change our hearts. After Jesus was questioned about His disciples not following the age-old tradition of washing their hands, here are key elements of His response.
Matthew 15:18; These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:19; Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.
Matthew 15:16; "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. 17. Anything you eat, passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18. But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you. 19. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you."
Lesson 5; Obey God over People If you are faced with a conflict of God's command and a person's command, always go with God. No matter the cost! God will provide for you!!
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