Bible Study series: Matthew 13:44-46. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price. You have to give up all you have to get the better thing.
Two Short Parables
Reply
Category Archives: Matthew
Parable of Weeds among Wheat, Explained
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:36-43. As noted in the companion post, leave judgment of the world up to God. Don’t cut down the weeds that look like wheat. You may damage the wheat.
The Use of Parables
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:34-35. The hidden things are now being revealed to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:31-33. The kingdom of God expands slowly, as it rescues people from the kingdom of darkness. Each redeemed life represents kingdom expansion.
Parable of Weeds among Wheat, Introduced
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:24-30. We must leave judgment of the world in God’s hands. Let’s not presume to judge worldly people before God’s time.
Parable of the Sower, Explained
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:18-23. Now we come to the interpretation. We need to see ourselves in the parable. Continue reading
The Purpose of Parables
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:10-17. You have to dig for the answers, showing your hunger for the kingdom. You must also have humility.
The Parable of the Soils (Sower), Introduced
Bible Study series: Matthew 13:1-9. Where is your heart? Hard? Prepared? Let’s see.
The Mother and Brothers of Jesus
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:46-50: The title reflects the natural reading. He really did have brothers.
Return of the Unclean Spirit with Seven Others
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:43-45. The house that has been swept clean must be filled with the Spirit and the word.
Religious Leaders Demand a Sign
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:38-42. He did not grant their request, but told them of another prophet and his sign.
A Tree and Its Fruit
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:31-37. Jesus also discusses the blasphemy of the Spirit.
Jesus Binds Beelzebub
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:22-30. He bound or tied up Satan. Now we followers of Jesus can walk in victory, in his name.
Jesus Is the Chosen Servant
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:15-21. In the previous section, the Pharisees were plotting to destroy him. Matthew writes, however, that Jesus is the Chosen Servant, chosen by God.
Jesus Heals a Man with a Withered Hand on the Sabbath
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:9-14. He has a successful healing ministry because he was the Anointed One, the Spirit was on him, and the Father directed him.
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
Bible Study series: Matthew 12:1-8. Did they really break the Sabbath or just the traditions built around it, functioning like a wall to protect it?
‘Come to Me and Rest, for My Yoke Is Easy and My Load Is Light’
Bible Study series: Matthew 11:28-30. These are the three most beloved verses in all the Bible, so I approach them with humility and even fear and trembling. Wonderful.
Only Jesus Knows the Father and Reveals Him
Bible Study series: Matthew 11:25-27. Jesus reveals his Father to those who are hungry. He is still doing this revelation ministry today, from his throne in heaven.
Woes Pronounced on Unrepentant Cities
Bible Study series: Matthew 11:20-24. If you reject Jesus, you put your soul in peril. The same goes for entire towns.
Messengers from John the Baptist Ask Jesus If He Is the Coming One
Bible Study series: Matthew 11:1-19. John was in prison. He has room for doubt. Jesus reassured him.
Rewards for Treating God’s Missionaries Hospitably
Bible Study series: Matthew 10:40-42. Missionaries deserve the utmost respect.
He Came to Bring a Sword (Division), Not Peace in the Household
Bible Study series: Matthew 10:34-39. It’s time to count the cost, in Jewish and Muslim families.
Fear God, Not People
Bible Study series: Matthew 10:26-33. You have to get the right perspective. People can harm the body but do nothing to the soul.
Jesus Predicts Persecution of His Missionaries
Bible Study series: Matthew 10:16-25. Get ready. You will be misunderstood and even persecuted when you preach the gospel in a hostile religious environment.
Jesus Calls and Commissions the Twelve Apostles
Bible Study series: Matthew 10:1-15. The apostles will eventually go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20)
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
Bible Study series: Matthew 9:27-31. The two men cried out for mercy. Jesus asked them what they wanted. They had to say it. This took place near the Lake of Galilee, up north.
Jesus Resurrects a Ruler’s Daughter and Heals Woman with Issue of Blood
Bible Study series: Matthew 9:18-26. Two females in need, and he helps both of them. Wonderful.
Was Zechariah, ‘Son of Berekiah,’ the Martyred Prophet?
Did Matthew get things wrong (23:35)? There is a mystery here to be solved.
Questions about Fasting and Parables of New Cloth and New Wine
Bible Study series: Matthew 9:14-17. God is doing a new thing.
Jesus Calls Matthew
Bible Study series: Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus associated with tax collectors. Why not call one of them, under the Father’s guidance?
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
Bible Study series: Matthew 9:1-8. Jesus can forgive sins.
Jesus Delivers Two Gadarene Demoniacs
Bible Study series: Matthew 8:28-34. Jesus traveled out of his way to set them free.
Jesus Calms the Storm
Bible Study series: Matthew 8:23-27. It’s time to trust, when Jesus is with you.
Are You Ready to Truly Follow Jesus?
Bible Study series. Matthew 8:18-22. Enthusiasm is great, but can you count the cost?
Jesus Heals Many People
Bible Study series: Matthew 8:14-17. Another summary about Jesus’s healing ministry. Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4. He carried our diseases.
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
Bible Study series: Matthew 8:5-13. The centurion’s faith shocked him.
Jesus Is Willing to Cleanse a Leper
Bible Study series: Matthew 8:1-4. Jesus healed everyne needing healing and who approached him.
Two Foundations
Bible Study series: Matthew 7:24-29. Will you obey his words or hear them and then do as you please?
Trees and Their Fruits and False Followers
Bible Study series: Matthew 7:15-23. You can prophesy and work miracles in huis name but not know the Lord. “Depart from me! I never knew you!” We can know them by their fruit.
Enter through the Narrow Gate; Walk the Narrow Path
Bible Study series Matthew 7:13-14. Kingdom citizens enter through the narrow gate and walk on the straight and narrow path
The King Teaches on Persistent Prayer + the Golden Rule
Bible Study series: Matthew 7:7-12. Prayer must be persistent. And we must do good to people. There is a connection.
The King Warns against Judgmentalism
Bible Study series: Matthew 7:1-6. This must be read in context. And be sure not to throw priceless things before swine or holy things before dogs.
Seek First His Kingdom
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:25-34. The Sermon on the Mount is about reorienting our perspective to things above. These verses are a perfect summary of this goal.
Disciples Persist in Prayer
This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:7-11. Never give up on prayer, until God tells you to stop praying for something. But he is willing to give his Son’s disciples good things.
Do You Serve God or Mammon?
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:24. Who is your Lord? Do you have money or does money have you?
The Lamp of the Body Is the Eye
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:22-23. Make sure you look at the light (= truth = Christ’s message) of the gospel.
Store Up Treasures in Heaven
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:19-21. Store up treasures in heaven. Don’t be greedy for treasure on earth. Hyper-prosperity teachers cannot like these verses. They shall have their rewards down here on earth, but nothing in the new heavens and earth.
The Right Attitude and Practice in Fasting
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:16-18. Don’t appear to be fasting. Don’t show off.
Right Heart in Prayer and How to Pray
Bible Study series. Matthew 6:5-15. Lord’s Prayer. No need to decree, which removes God from your Christian life. You ignore your Father in heaven and take matters into your own hands. No. Instead, Jesus taught us to pray to our holy and loving Father.
Give Generously in Private
Bible Study series: Matthew 6:1-4. Giving generously in secret is the right way. Be careful about trumpeting your giving. You’ll lose your reward.
Jesus Teaches Kingdom Citizens to Love Their Enemies
Bible Study series: Matthew 5:43-48. Kingdom citizens are called to a higher ethic. Don’t command the unbelieving world to do this, unless you can persuade a willing person.
Jesus Teaches Kingdom Citizens about Retaliation and Surrendered Life
Bible Study series: Matthew 5:38-42. It’s about a generous heart, surrendered to the Father. Don’t over-apply the basic principle with rigid literalness.
Jesus Teaches His Kingdom Citizens about Oaths
Bible Study series: Matthew 5:33-37. Multiplying words can be detrimental at final judgment.
Stop Weaponizing Matthew 18 against Victims of Clergy Abuse
It’s time to put an end to a church leader accused of abuse from manipulating Matthew 18. He wants the victim of his abuse to confront him one on one, alone.
Jesus Teaches His Kingdom Citizens about Divorce
Scripture: Matthew 5:31-32. He teaches this to protect women from easy divorcism.
Jesus Teaches Kingdom Citizens about Lust and Adultery
Bible Study series: Matthew 5:27-30. He was reworking the sixth and tenth commandments of the Ten Commandments
Jesus Teaches Kingdom Citizens about Anger and Reconciliation
Bible Study Series: Matthew 5:21-26. This is the first of the six antitheses. “You have heard it said … but I tell you.” They actually intensify and clarify the Torah, in kingdom relationships, person to person.
Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law
Bible Study Series: Matthew 5:17-20. He did not come to abolish it, but what does ‘fulfill’ mean?
We Are Salt and Light. We Are Called to Do Good Works
Bible Study Series: Matthew 5:13-16. Without our good works and giving flavor to the good news, the world would be even more lost than it is.
You Are Blessed
Bible Study Series: Matthew 5:1-12. These are the beatitudes. They describe how kingdom citizens can live the true blessed life (not the popular book of this title).
Jesus Ministers to Great Multitudes
Bible Study Series: Matthew 4:23-25. Jesus ministered to them with strength and compassion. He healed them.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
Bible Study Series: Matthew 4:18-22. How did they respond? How about you?
Jesus Begins His Ministry
Bible Study Series: Matthew 4:12-17. His message was simple and clear.
Satan Tempted Jesus. The Son of God Won
Bible Study series: Matthew 4:1-14. The Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness to fast and then encounter Satan. Jesus defeated him. On the third temptation, he told Satan to go. He left (for a season).
Jesus Is Baptized and the Father Loves His Son
Bible Study series: Matthew 3:13-17. John the Baptist baptizes his relative Jesus, and Father God declare his delight and love for his Son. I wonder how much God loves you and me.
John the Baptist Proclaims Repentance and Fire and the Coming One
Bible Study series: Matthew 3:1-13.John was a ferocious prophet. What can we learn from him in our lives today?
Joseph and Family Leave Egypt and Return to Israel
Bible Study series: Matthew 2:19-23. Joseph obeys God. How are we in obedience to God?
Slaying of the Infants
Bible Study series: Matthew 2:16-18. How are you at handling human-caused evil? Do you blame God or people?
Joseph Is Told to Flee to Egypt
Bible Study Series: Matthew 2:13-15. How do we interpret dreams from God?
The Visit of the Magi
Bible Study series: Matthew 2:1-12. Like Pharoah indirectly attacked baby Moses, Herod attacks baby Jesus.
Betrothal of Mary, Joseph and Birth of Jesus
Bible Study series: Matthew 1:18-25. Mary and Joseph get engaged–betrothed is a better word.
Men in Matthew’s Genealogy: Application
Bible Study series. Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17. This list of names at first glance appears irrelevant to our lives. But a closer look reveals it is relevant.
Women in Matthew’s Genealogy: Application
Bible Study series. Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17. This post is for your personal Bible study or your small group. How do we apply this section of Scripture to our lives?
What Matthew’s Genealogy Can Teach Us: An Overview
Bible Study series: Matthew 1:1-17. It may be hard to believe, but we can learn so much from a genealogy, particularly Matthew’s.
The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel
You can certainly pray this prayer word for word if you like. But other interpreters say we should base our prayers on each line, but put our prayer in our own words. That is, it’s a model prayer.
Jesus Teaches on Marriage
Did Jesus indirectly endorse same-sex marriage by his silence on it? I teach briefly and realistically on sex in this post, so immature readers should not click on it. Parallel passages in Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospel are looked into here.
Jesus Teaches His Disciples about Eunuchs
What about eunuchs in Matthew 19:10-12? Does the Bible endorse trans surgery? Does being “born” a eunuch imply same-sex attraction?
“You Will Not Complete Towns of Israel until Son of Man Comes”
That’s a puzzling verse, spoken when Jesus commissioned his twelve disciples to go out on a short-term mission trip and then come back. It seems as though the Second Coming will happen before they preach in all the towns of Israel. Was Jesus a failed prophet? How do we solve this problem?
“Some Shall Not Experience Death until They See Son of Man Coming”
Was Jesus a failed prophet? Matt. 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27 say that some standing there with Jesus would not experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. How can that be true, when the Second Coming has not happened in the past two thousand years (and counting)? The answer will surprise you because it goes beyond the “standard” one.
What Jesus Told High Priest and Sanhedrin Now Makes Sense
Was Jesus a failed prophet? Critics seem to think so because he told Caiaphas the high priest and the Sanhedrin (the highest court and council of Judaism) that they would see him coming, sitting in clouds of glory.
Parable of the Sheep and Goats
Are you prepared for final judgment?
Parable of the Bags of Gold (Talents)
This parable is often titled Parable of the Talents. Are you a productive kingdom citizen?
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
What kind of disciple are you? Wise or foolish? Are you prepared for the Second Coming?
Parable of the Wise and Faithful Servant
Will you be faithfully serving God in your life when Jesus comes back? Will you do his will to the very end? If so, rewards are coming.
Parable of the Wedding Banquet
You have to be invited into the kingdom. God’s call to come in is going out to you right now.
Parable of the Two Sons
The temple establishment and religious leaders get their comeuppance, in contrast to the commoners and expendables.
Parable of Workers in the Vineyard
This is a story about God’s generosity. Do new converts get more grace than long-serving Christians, or does everyone get an equal amount of grace?
Matthew 27:52-53 and Appearance of Holy People: Pious Fiction or Fact?
Those two verses say that “many” bodies of holy people who had “fallen asleep” (i.e. died) were raised from their tombs and entered Jerusalem and appeared to many. Is this fact or pious fiction?
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
This parable will be a challenge for some of us. You must forgive, or your Father in heaven won’t forgive you. Serious!
Did the Centurion or His Emissaries Approach and Speak to Jesus?
Three options can solve the puzzle. Scriptures: Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10.
Triumphal Entry: Did Jesus Straddle Two Animals?
The critics have such disrespect and low regard for the Gospels that they believe Matthew actually wrote that Jesus straddled two animals during his triumphal entry. But maybe a Greek noun and a pronoun can clarify the problem for openminded readers,
Did the Prophets Predict That the Messiah Would Be Called a Nazarene?
Once again, the hostile critics pounce on Matthew’s perfectly legitimate and culturally acceptable use Old Testament themes and words.
Parable of Householder
We need the New Testament and the Old Testament.
Did Matthew Mistakenly Attribute Verses from Zechariah to Jeremiah?
Did Matthew commit an error? What does this mean for inerrancy, if he did? If ….
When Was the Temple Curtain Torn in Two?
Wow. Now we have entered the realm of nitpicking to the nth degree. We have to move grains of sand one at a time with tweezers.
Parable of the Net
After God’s great harvest, you will be judged. Are you a follower of Jesus? Are you found in union with him or away from him?
Jairus’s Daughter in Three Gospels: Do the Differences ‘DESTROY’ the Truth of the Story?
There are definitely differences in the three accounts of Jairus’s daughter being raised from the dead, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But do these differences blind us to the central truth of the story?
Jesus Calls Certain Disciples in Four Gospels. Do the Accounts Contradict?
Are the four Gospel writers all that clumsy, or do they employ the story teller’s art to narrate the story of these disciples from the writers’ own point of view?
Parable of Priceless Pearl
If you have to, sell everything you have to get into the kingdom. Don’t let your possessions prevent you.
Why Did Luke Switch the Sequence in the Temptation Passages?
Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. The second and third temptations were switched in Luke Gospel from the sequence in Matthew’s Gospel. Hostile critics and readers pounce on the differences and conclude that the Gospel are unreliable. Are the critics right?
Parable of Hidden Treasure
Don’t miss out on the kingdom of God. Dig for it.
Common Details in Matthew’s and Luke’s Birth Narratives
Did Matthew really believe that baby Jesus was never circumcised?
Parable of Weeds among Wheat
This parable is about counterfeit disciples, satanic attacks by planting them inside the kingdom of God, yet we must not render ultimate and final judgment on them before God does. It also speaks of Jesus’ view of the end-times. It is not as complicated as the teachings of popular, end-time Bible prophecy teachers.
What Happened to Judas Iscariot’s Body?
Another seeming Bible contradiction disappears, when we look closely at the accounts in Matthew 27 and Acts 1.
Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
How do we know whether we are a wise of foolish builder in the kingdom of God? How do we become a wise one?
Parable of Lamp under a Bowl
What does light mean in the kingdom of God? Does it produce good works? What is its source?
A Misunderstood Biblical Command: “Don’t Judge!”
This is an easy-to-follow word study of key terms in the New Testament and a close look at Matthew 7:1-5. Let’s understand what it really means in context. (I updated this post.)
Did Jesus Forbid the Title of ‘Teacher’?
The Scripture is Matthew 23:8-12. Some translations make it seem as if Jesus forbids calling men ‘teachers’ in his kingdom community. But what did he really say?
Luke 17:22-37: Taken Away = Rapture?
What do those verses about being taken away and left behind really teach? The answer may shock many people who have been taught only one viewpoint. I also briefly look at Matthew’s version.
The Lord’s Supper in Synoptic Gospels + Church Traditions
We cannot answer all the questions in this overview, but we can exegete the Lord’s Supper in its original context in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This post also looks very briefly at 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 11:23-34 and John 6:35-59. Then, what do various churches teach about the Lord’s Supper (or Communion or Eucharist)? I am here to learn. I updated this post with information that startled me. I also learned something new from Exodus 12:14. Once more I updated this post!
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
The Church fathers quoted here lived in the second to third centuries. They are unanimous that Matthew wrote the first Gospel, and it was authoritative for them–so it should be for us too.
Matthew 5:28 and Adultery in the Heart
Matthew 5:28 has been misused over and over again. What does it mean in its textual and OT contexts? Update: radio host Dennis Prager says that in Judaism a man can watch a little porn because the Torah does not forbid it. Judaism is about behavior, not inner thoughts.
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 and 17 in Parallel Columns Are Finally Clear
These chapters are on Jesus’s discourse about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (AD 70) and then the Second Coming, which has not happened yet 2000 years later (and counting). Looking at the chapters side by side clarifies what he really taught. I updated this post.
How Jesus Christ Fulfills the Law: Matthew 5:17-19
Christ fulfilled or paid off your debt to the Law. It’s paid in full. He accomplishes this by fulfilling the holiness demand in the law and the fullest revelation of God’s character.
‘Revenge’ in the Old and New Testaments: Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth
Does the Old Testament demand literal retaliation for a wrong? Should an eye or a tooth be gouged or knocked out—physically? What about the teaching of Jesus? Does he raise our vision to a higher calling? How do we forgive a tort or a physical injury? How do we get compensated for damages?
Reconciling Matthew’s and Luke’s Genealogies: Mission: Impossible?
Some scholars say they are irreconcilable, while others say reconciling them is not so difficult. I favor plausible harmonization. It’s all in the family. Bonus: see the American family “the Roosevelts” in a chart for parallels.
God’s Love and Grace in the Gospels and Acts
It’s about God’s love and favor, not yours for him. Great for a series of sermons or Bible studies or your personal edification.
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
This article rounds a corner from the traditions transmitted before the Gospels were written to the Gospels themselves, as we have them now. Do they enjoy eyewitness testimony at their foundation?
Matthew 28
In this final chapter, we see the resurrection of Jesus, the guards’ false report about a stolen body, and the Great Commission.
Matthew 27
In this chapter, Jesus is brought before Pilate. Judas hangs himself. Pilate questions Jesus. He is sentenced to die. Soldiers mock Jesus. He is crucified and dies. Holy people rise from their graves and visit Jerusalem. Jesus is buried. Jewish authorities place a guard at the tomb. Please see a table of events during Passion Week, at the end of this post.
Matthew 26
The Jerusalem authorities plot to kill Jesus. He is anointed at Bethany. Judas agrees to betray Jesus. The disciples prepare the Passover for them and him. He institutes the Last Supper and the New Covenant. He foretells Peter’s denial. He prays in Gethsemane. He is betrayed and arrested. He stands before the high priest and council. Peter denies Jesus. See the Table on Passion Week at the end of this post.
Matthew 25
In this chapter, Jesus continues his discourse about the Second Coming. He tells the Parable of the Ten Maidens, the Parable of the Talents, and the discourse on the Final Judgments (The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats).
Matthew 24
This chapter contains the famous Olivet discourse (1) about the destruction of the temple which Jesus said would happen in this (his) generation, and it did in A.D. 70; (2) and then the discourse is about the close out or wrap up of the entire age. Jesus refers to the flood of Noah to illustrate unprepared people. Also, two men are in a field, and one taken, the other left. Two women grind grain at a millstone; one taken, the other left. He also tells the Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant.
Matthew 23
In this chapter, Jesus says his disciples should not pursue titles. He pronounces seven woes on the teachers of the law and Pharisees. He then laments over Jerusalem. A table of events during Passion Week is again presented here, at the end.
Matthew 22
Jesus tells the polemical Parable of the Wedding Feast. Next, he answers the question: Should we pay taxes to Caesar? The Sadducees ask him about the resurrection. He affirms the final resurrection, and it is explored here. An expert in the law asks him which commandment is greatest. He straightens out the Pharisees on the greatness of the Son of David, because David, inspired by the Spirit, called him Lord. A table of the events during Passion Week is presented at the end.
Matthew 21
This chapter is very important (see table of events during Passion Week, at the end). The Messiah enters Jerusalem triumphantly; the crowds shout that he’s the son of David; Jesus cleanses the temple. He heals the lame and the blind; the children call him the son of David. In an action parable he curses a fig tree. The establishment fights back by questioning his authority. He tells two parables: Parable of the Two Sons and the Parable of the Tenants.
Matthew 20
Jesus tells the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. He foretells his death a third time. James’ and John’s mother requests that her two sons sit on the left and right of the Son of Man. Jesus tells them that this is his Father’s decision, and everyone in the kingdom must become servants.
Matthew 19
Jesus again teaches on divorce. He places his hands on little children and blesses them. A rich man approaches him and asks about inheriting eternal life. He walks away, and Jesus says it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. He tells the twelve that they will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. If a follower gives up all, then he will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. His teaching on the end times is also looked at here.
Matthew 18
The disciples ask who the greatest is. The passage about cutting off hand or gouging out eye (so to speak) is included. The Parable of the Lost Sheep is told. If your brother sins against you seven times, forgive him seventy times (or seventy times seventy). Church discipline is taught in restoring someone. Binding and loosing is repeated here. Finally the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is told. Update: I now cover the accusations of sexual abuse. Matthew 18:15-17 do not cover this, and I explain why.
Matthew 17
In this chapter, the Transfiguration happens; Jesus heals a boy having a demon; he foretells his death and resurrection; he pays the temple tax.
Matthew 16
Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign from heaven. Jesus warns of the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and Jesus says Peter is blessed and grants him the keys of the kingdom. He seems to have the power to bind and loose. Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and urges disciples to pick up their cross and follow him. Another discussion of the end times, too.
Matthew 15
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees criticize the disciples for not washing before eating. Jesus sets them straight on the difference between tradition of the elders and the Word of God. It is what come out of the mouth, words—which are expressions of the heart—that defile a person. Jesus turns a Canaanite woman’s desperation into faith. Jesus then heals many. And he feeds four thousand men plus women and children.
Matthew 14
In this chapter: Death of John the Baptist. Jesus feeds the five thousand with five loaves and two fish. Jesus and Peter walk on water. Jesus heals the sick in Gennesaret.
Matthew 13
In this chapter: Parables of Sower (and its explanation), Weeds (Tares), Mustard Seed, and Leaven; parables are only for the crowds, to separate the discerning from the dull; Parables of Hidden Treasure, Pearl of Great Value, the Net, treasures old and new; finally, Jesus is rejected at Nazareth. A long discussion of the end times is also included here.
Matthew 12
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. Jesus is God’s Chosen Servant. He warns against blasphemy of the Spirit. He says a tree is known by its fruit. He promises an evil generation the sign of his burial and resurrection. He explains how Satan counterattacks with seven more spirits. Finally, he declares that the ones who do his Father’s will are his mother and brothers.
Matthew 11
In this chapter, John the Baptist sits in Herod’s prison and sends disciples to ask Jesus if he is the Coming One. Jesus pronounces woe on unrepentant cities. He calls all those who work and are heavily burdened to come to him, and he will give them rest.
Matthew 10
Jesus sends out the twelve on a short-term mission trip, in preparation for life-long mission. Persecution will come because Jesus did not come to bring only peace, but he came to ply a (metaphorical) sword. In tense times, don’t fear the man who kills only the body but God who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna. Don’t deny him but acknowledge him in public. People who welcome one of Jesus’s emissaries will receive a reward.
Matthew 9
Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic and then heals him as proof that he has authority to forgive sins. Jesus calls Matthew to be a disciple. John’s disciples ask questions about fasting. A girl is restored to life, and a woman touches the tassels of his garment, to receive her healing. Jesus heals two blind men and delivers a mute man who was demonized. Jesus says the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Matthew 8
In this chapter, Jesus cleanses a leper; marvels at the faith of a centurion; heals Peter’s mother-in-law and then many others; tells two would-be disciples about the cost of discipleship (let the dead bury their dead); calms a storm; and delivers two Gadarene demoniacs.
Matthew 7
In this chapter, Jesus teaches us not to judge / condemn another person—no judgmentalism. He encourages kingdom citizens to ask, seek and knock. He teaches the Golden Rule. He tells his listeners to travel the restrictive path and enter through the narrow gate. He says to be fruit inspectors, because false prophets are coming. He announces that some will claim him to be Lord and do charismatic gifts, but he will tell them to depart from him, for he never knew them. He talks about two houses, one built on a strong foundation, and another built on sand.
Matthew 6
In this chapter, these topics are introduced: Giving to the needy without display; the Lord’s Model Prayer; fasting with the right attitude; laying up treasures in heaven; our light must shine. We cannot serve God and Mammon. We must not be anxious about the basics but seek God’s kingdom first.
Matthew 5
The first chapter in the Sermon on the Mount; the Beatitudes; we are salt and light. Christ came to fulfill the law. Avoid anger; avoid lust; divorce should be rare and only for one exception. Don’t swear oaths. Don’t follow ‘eye for an eye,’ but live a surrendered life. Love your enemies. Through most of those passages, Jesus presents his six antitheses: “You have heard it said … but I say to you.”
Matthew 4
In this chapter, Satan tempts Jesus, and the Lord passes the tests and tells him to go. Jesus leaves Nazareth behind and moves to Capernaum, where he begins his ministry. He calls his first disciples. In a summary passage, he is shown to speak to large crowds, heal all their diseases, and expel demons. His basic message is, “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven has come near!”
Matthew 3
John the Baptist prepares the way and calls people to repentance and to show deeds in keeping with repentance. He calls the Pharisees and Sadducees offspring of vipers. Jesus is baptized by John, and the heavenly Father proclaims that Jesus is his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased and delighted.
Matthew 2
In this chapter, the Magi or wise men visit the newborn king; Herod is alarmed and is told that the child was born in Bethlehem. The wise men find Jesus and offer him gifts. Then they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. Joseph is warned in a dream to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt. Herod kills the children in and around Bethlehem. After Herod died, Joseph is instructed in a dream to return to Israel. The family settles in Nazareth.
Matthew 1
In this chapter, the genealogy of Jesus Christ and his birth are told.
Jesus Turns a Gentile Mother’s Desperation into Faith
Jesus seemed to be “rude” to a Gentile (pagan, non-Jew, or foreign) woman, someone outside his outreach to Israel. Here’s an exegesis (close reading) that explains his reasons, in a little more detail, in his own cultural context.
“The Kingdom of God Suffers Violence, and Violent People Plunder It.”
Matt. 11:12 has puzzled many Bible interpreters. What does it mean in its textual context?
Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts
This is quick reference guide to religious and political Jewish groups who appear in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.
Matthew 24:4-35 Predicts Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
This interpretation breaks open the meaning of this much-disputed passage. Be sure to view the photos at the end. History come alive!
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 