January 5, 2025
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3 ESV). This is the first of the Beatitudes in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Each one begins with the word, “Blessed,” which comes from the Greek word, “makarios,” which might also be translated “happy” or “completely satisfied.” This is not
January 4, 2025
“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23 ESV). The apostle Matthew recorded that Jesus began His ministry by going all about Galilee preaching “the gospel of the kingdom.” Indeed, this seems to be
December 8, 2024 | Matthew 2:1-12 |
Have you finished your Christmas shopping? Don’t you feel the tension? Don’t you feel the pressure to spend more money than you have in order to give your kids (spouse, grandkids…) everything on their list? You want everyone to be happy and you want to be happy, so you spend, spend, spend… And the more you spend, the less it feels like Christmas. Or what it’s supposed to mean.
How can we pull our affection off of the crazy, chaotic spending spree that comes every December and instead focus on worshiping Christ as King? How can we spend less and worship more?
In the gospel of Matthew, the story of the birth of Jesus is told within the political backdrop of the times. From the beginning there was a battle between worshiping the true King and the false king Herod. The challenge for us is to remove our worship from the false king and to put our worship on the true King, Jesus Christ.
February 12, 2024
‘Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”’ (Matthew 27:22 ESV). The Roman Governor Pilate asked the crowd to answer this question for him. He sought to avoid making a decision about Jesus, but his plan backfired. The crowd’s surprising support of the criminal Barabbas left Pilate still
February 10, 2024
“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53 ESV). When Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and was being arrested, the gospel of Matthew reported that one of those with Jesus drew his sword and cut off a
February 9, 2024
“But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee” (Matthew 26:32 ESV). Jesus said this to His disciples to encourage them. For He had already warned them that they would all stumble and scatter that very night. Yet He wanted them to look past His coming betrayal, crucifixion and death, and
February 6, 2024
“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34 ESV). Many have pointed to this verse to say that Jesus got it wrong. For the generation to which Jesus spoke has passed and the end has not yet come. Even C.S. Lewis, the normally staunch
February 5, 2024
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14 ESV). When the disciples asked Jesus to give them details about His second coming and the end of the age, He replied that one of the signs would
February 4, 2024
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25 ESV). Jesus accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy. For they emphasized outward expressions of holiness without any true heart change. The Pharisees had added dozens of rules
February 2, 2024
‘But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”‘ (Matthew 22:29 ESV). Jesus rebuked the Sadducees for not knowing God’s Word, nor God’s power. Who were the Sadducees? They were a Jewish religious sect that existed during the first century and consisted of a wealthy ruling