Month: December 2023

🙏🏻 Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit – Help us read these chapters, Lord. Speak to us in a way that reveals both Your truth and Your love that is being told in these tough sections. We ask for Your help in doing this, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

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Where have we been so far?  (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 24.)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Points to Ponder: ‘At that time’… Jesus is still talking with His disciples about the end of the age… when time ends.  This parable  places Jesus in the role of the bridegroom and His church as the virgins.  There is a heartbreaking illustration that not all ‘virgins’ are remaining vigilant and ready for His return.  ‘Oil’ is being used as a symbol of The Holy Spirit. 

Just because someone attends church, doesn’t mean they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Again, I don’t see the half-and-half- split as numerical, but as our choosing one of two sides… are we aligning ourselves with Jesus, the offspring of the woman, or with evil, the offspring of the snake.  Those that are aligning with Jesus are filling their vessels with the Spirt. They are remaining vigilant and keeping watch.  The others are losing track of time and neglecting the Spiritual disciplines that keep them strong.

There is no middle ground.  There is no other option. 

It is tough to read in this parable that this division, Jesus warns, is within His church of professing Christians!  There is a difference between hearing the Gospel and saying… ‘This sounds good, sure sign me up.’ And, believing the Gospel and saying… ’Lord, I am a sinner and You died for me – and that’s a love I can barely grasp. I give my whole life in submission to You in gratitude – it isn’t much, but I’m all-in.’

As harsh as this sounds… when the door is shut on those who were not ready when He returned, remember this comes after Jesus pronounced the ‘woes’ on the Pharisees. (He told us to listen to them, but not to do what they do.)  Their self-focused and self-defined righteousness was actually preventing others from entering the kingdom. This is a serious breach of their responsibility to lead others to God. It is the same for us. When we discover the love of Christ, we are to go and make disciples.  And the next parables show that we make disciples in different ways from the Pharisees and other religions.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Points to Ponder: There is key lesson here… we are not all given the same resources, but we are expected to use them wisely. First notice that the servant with 5 and the servant with 2 were both commended with the same response… You have been faithful with a few things.  So, the one with 5 should not feel superior to the one with 2 – in the eyes of our Master who owns it all… they’re just a few.  Our Lord knows how much we can be trusted with.

And the one with 1 should not feel inferior because he didn’t get more… He shouldn’t feel rejected because he only got 1…  And he definitely shouldn’t be afraid to try to use the 1 thing that God gifted him with – it’s a test of our faithfulness to serve our Master with what He’s given us.

When you consider the last servant, his test was the easiest. Less choices, less options, less distractions… yet he buried the one thing God gave Him to serve Him. This choice shows no faithful action on the part of the servant revealing a heart that is far from God.  Also note that this servant knew what was expected.  He tried to use ‘fear’ as an excuse for inaction.  God calls Him out on it. (God is not our therapist, He’s the master!)  If you knew what was expected of you, but felt unable to translate that knowledge into action, you can easily give that 1 thing to a reputable church or ministry that will act on your behalf. 

(That’s the beauty of Christianity… we all have different gifts and we strive to grow in learning how to work together.  The more we get out of our own way and let the Holy Spirit guide us, the greater we see what He can do with our 1 thing.)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Points to Ponder: The last of the end-time parables is remarkable in this age.  First notice the terms: ‘sheep and goats.’  We live in a culture where it is quite the compliment to be called ‘the goat – the Greatest Of All Time’ and it is a derogatory term to refer to a group of followers, or like-minded individuals, as ‘sheeple’.   This is a poorly disguised ethic of exalting ourselves and our own opinions… we may not bow down to golden calves or statues made of wood or stone, but PRIDE is our current icon. 

If someone wants to insult you as a ‘sheeple’ because you are following The Shepherd – thank them for noticing!  You apparently are not hiding your light under a basket!  😊

There are a few points worth highlighting.  (1) There’s no mistaking the separation of sheep from the goats… Jesus is the Good Shepherd and His sheep know His voice.  We see again here that not all of humanity will be saved.  (2) Just being kind in a random fashion doesn’t earn you credit for serving Jesus.  There is a qualification to the recipients of your generosity implied – He specifies the ‘least of these’ to be His brothers and sisters. And we know who His brothers and sisters are… those who do the will of the Father. [Matthew 12:50] Lord, help us in this area.

While paying for a Starbucks for the random car behind you is nice, it doesn’t equal the feeding or housing of displaced Christians. It was the Christians that started public hospitals. It was the Christians that started public education. But take God out of those institutions and replace Him with government or business and the compassion and integrity gets lost.

We are to be wise and diligent in our research as to where we spend our charitable donations.  (Doing nothing… hiding it in the ground until He returns… not a great option.)  If we are faithful Christians, we are to help our Christian brothers and sisters. There is NO limit to how you can do this.

And fun, exciting, challenging part of this is we don’t know for sure who are Christian brothers and sisters are!!! We don’t know the heart of another individual – but God does. Make your commitment to knowing God, building your relationship with Him and the rest will fall into place.

The Plot Against Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ⁵ “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Points to Ponder: This is so good… the perfect example of Proverbs 16:9 – In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.  Whatever your plans are, hold onto them lightly.

Jesus finishes the end-time instructions, then reminds his disciples that He will be crucified during Passover.  Those that are scheming to secretly arrest and kill Jesus don’t want that timing… guess who wins.

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We remember that Passover is the celebration of God freeing the nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery.  We remember that in Jesus’ death and resurrection, He freed ‘His Sheep’ from our slavery to sin.

When our spirits are aligned with His Spirit… we can smile and say… ‘I see what you did there.’ 😁

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Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, [Deuteronomy 15:11] but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Points to Ponder: This woman brings her ‘one thing’ and serves the master and He calls it a beautiful thing while His disciples call it a waste!  The hearts of men are quick to judge others on what we consider ‘good’. 

Jesus credits this woman with knowing about Jesus’s upcoming crucifixion. That’s wild – the disciples kept forgetting that. And here we are discussing her action… in memory of her… just like He said. 😍  The oil being poured on Him is a throwback to the Old Testament stories of anointing – men of leadership – prophets, priests, and kings, were anointed with oil as a symbolic gesture of God’s presence.  (This is why the oil in the Ten Virgins parable represented the Holy Spirit.)  Click here for a 3-minute video from The Bible Project on anointing.)  Jesus is about to become King – she’s anointing Him.

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Points to Ponder: There is no hidden message here… nothing super spiritual to discern. 

This just sucks. 

It’s recorded in the Gospels because it happened.

As we mature as Christians and study scripture, we remember that Jesus… our great High Priest… can intercede on our behalf because He experienced the same tests… trials… temptations… that we do.

Step out of your ‘super Christian’ suit for a minute and reach out to Jesus for a hug.  He experienced that same pain that you experienced when a friend betrayed you.  This world of broken relationships is NOT what God intended.  This is the result of sin and the choices we and others make, because we are slaves to sin.

If you’ve been the betrayer – ask God for forgiveness and sin no more.  He washes the guilt and shame away at the cross.  If you’ve been betrayed – ask God for the strength to forgive so you can also accept the healing of your heart.

Remember – the Gospel, the Good News, is that our King has a Kingdom and He wants us there with Him… the invitation is open.

The Last Supper

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

Points to Ponder: The last supper seems to have been secretly arranged by Jesus ahead of time.  Perhaps this is because He knew that Judas and the Pharisees wanted to remove Jesus before the Passover.   

At the Passover when Jesus announces this upcoming betrayal… each of the disciples seem to doubt themselves and ask… Surely, you don’t mean me, LORD?  Except for Judas, who asks the same question, but addresses Jesus as… RABBI.  The point is made.

Is Jesus just a good man?  A good teacher?  Or have you come to recognize the wisdom of submitting to Jesus as your LORD? (He is GOD. He created us. And He loves us enough to die for us.)

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Points to Ponder: We get the new covenant here which we celebrate at Communion to remember the sacrifice of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood – poured out for many… not all… for the forgiveness of our sins.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[Zechariah 13:7]

³² But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Points to Ponder: Jesus tells them, but they believe they know better. 

The warnings in scripture are important. These stories where Jesus warns His disciples are also important. As we read them, we put ourselves in the story and ask… would I do better?  Would I betray Jesus? Would I deny Jesus?

They’re important questions to ask – our eternal lives are at stake. So we keep reading…

Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

⁴³ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Points to Ponder: It is naïve to think that if we knew the future things would be easier. I think that our self-focus believes that if we knew the future, we could change it. Jesus – the only one who knew and the only one who could… didn’t. He is overwhelmed with sorrow.  He models complete submission to the will of God. 

(Even though He too is God, but don’t get lost in what we are unable to fully comprehend at this point.)

When we are overwhelmed with sorrow, do we do what Jesus does here? Seek the help and compassion of others, watch, and pray.  When we are in such a condition it is easy to fall into temptation. We are warned to spend our time strengthening our spirits so as not to fall when the tough times come… and they will come. 

Jesus’ companions were not much help. He left the rest of the disciples and brought only His three closest friends with Him, but they fall asleep. Jesus doesn’t let that disappointment stop Him from doing what is needed, and what is best.  He prays with the time He has.

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Points to Ponder: The origination of the term, ‘Judas Kiss’, is found in this story.  One of the most tragic symbols of human betrayal that resonates with all of humanity. It’s the title of films and songs. It’s the theme found in books and works of art.

Yet, Jesus calls him ‘friend’. My mind explodes with all that this implies but suffice it to say that Jesus, our King, our Savior, is also our Friend. He came to save sinners… all of them… even the ones that betray Jesus… even us.  But not all will go to Jesus to be saved. 💔

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Points to Ponder: No one needs to defend Jesus, least of all His disciples. Jesus CHOSE to go to His death.  Again, that is His astounding love revealed to us. He knows and honors the prophecies of the Old Testament.

Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, all the disciples, His friends, deserted Him in His hour of need.  (If you ever thought that you could be a better Christian if you had been taught personally by Jesus, think again.) 

Christian life is hard, in fact, by ourselves, it’s impossible. 

We read and reread scripture because it is truly the greatest story ever told. And the power of it all is found here in the Gospels when Jesus walks onto the stage of history to redeem mankind.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally, two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” [Psalm 110:1, Daniel 7:13]

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Points to Ponder: The mock trial. Jewish law requires the testimony of at least two witnesses to present criminal charges. The use of the word ‘finally’ shows that they couldn’t find any witnesses with testimonies that matched!  The two that finally agree about anything are the ones that repeat Jesus’ statement that He could destroy and rebuild the temple in three days.  ( 😉 Again, we say… ‘I see what you did there.)

The blind leadership try to run with that as if it were a criminal offense. Jesus remains silent. So now the leadership demand to know what they are really afraid to find out… Are you the messiah or not?  (Isn’t this the question that the souls of all of us demand to know?)

Jesus helps them out, of course. ‘You have said so’ is like saying… ‘Your own words are true.’ And He adds the prophetic words from Daniel and the Psalms in making the claim that He is the Messiah.

Again, standing on the outside of this, we can hang our heads and grieve this moment… there really are none so blind that will not see.  Spiritual Blindness is powerful indeed. They cannot see God right in front of them.  And the like-minded crowd join in… agreeing with a pronunciation of death.  They add spitting… striking…slapping… and mocking… to their shameful behavior.

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Points to Ponder: Oh, what a grievous night for Our Lord, Jesus.  One friend betrays Him, with a kiss. Another friend denies Him with a curse.

To know this about your friends, ahead of time, is a burden that I am quite thankful I don’t have to carry.

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Summary: In these chapters we see the love of Jesus as He shares with His disciples the hard truth of what to expect as we live in a broken world in anticipation of that final day that will usher in an eternal glorious life.  Let us keep our eye on what awaits us. We read in Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Jesus has told us throughout His ministry that we have one job – Love the LORD our God and love our neighbors. [Matthew 22:37-39]

Loving God must be first. 

Loving God is also the hardest thing we will ever do. 

Loving God enables us to see our neighbors as He does so we’re capable of loving them. 

Loving God means putting Him above all others – including ourselves. 

Loving God means knowing His Will, which is revealed in His Word, and committing ourselves to doing it. [James 4:17]

Loving God means trusting Him and obeying Him.

Jesus knew the scriptures and had to fulfill them in order to save us. He knew about the cross. He knew about the betrayal and the denial and the false accusations. He knew that even though His offer of salvation is open to all, not all will accept.  He went to the cross anyway.

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🙏🏻 Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit – Thank You for Your Word.  These are such difficult moments to revisit.  Your love for us is astounding.  As we go through our daily lives, enjoying the blessings that You continue to provide, let us humble ourselves and remember what it cost You.  Amen.

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Recap for Matthew

• Chapter 1 – The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been God’s plan to restore humanity. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
• Chapter 2 – The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus. NOT ALL HAVE EYES TO SEE.
• Chapter 3 – John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus. IF WE ‘SEE’, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
• Chapter 4 – Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission – gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about God’s Kingdom. JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY.
• Chapter 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 1.  Rethink everything! What it means to be blessed… what is our purpose… this was always the message of the Old Testament. You think you know right from wrong? Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but leering is wrong. Divorce may be legal but it was never part of God’s design – keep your promises – all of them… integrity matters to the people around you.  Eye-for-eye? No!   Learn to love your enemies.
• Chapter 6 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 2. Draw near to God, your father, in relationship. No showy religion when serving God or others. Pray to God, earnestly. Fast for a purpose.  Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven.  Don’t worry about the things of this world… He sees your giving… he sees your working… he hears your praying… he sees and knows what you need?  Trust Him – Seek Him first; everything else falls into place.
• Chapter 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 3. Living it out as a disciple of Christ.  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME… ALONE. 😉 Christian life is designed to be lived out in a community – connected to God through Jesus in order to connect to other believers.  As this new life progresses, this life is designed to be generational.  You start as a baby… you need to learn from your Christian siblings and your Christian parents.  Don’t judge others, you’re still a child!  Pray always… continually… He’s waiting to spend time with you! And be bold… try something new. Do something for someone else that you would like.  This is the  way He told us to live – not everyone will be faithful, but you are in charge of your decisions. Building your life on the teachings of Jesus is akin to a house on a solid foundation.
• Chapter 8 – JESUS WALKS THE TALK. He teaches and He puts it into action – healing a leper, healing the servant of a Roman officer – nothing is outside of His domain. He heals those with fevers and those possessed by demons. People want a piece of the action, but He reminds them that He has no home here.  If you want a piece of His Kingdom, you have to give up this one.  (And if you still doubt the value of such a choice – Jesus spoke to calm a storm.)
• Chapter 9 – WHAT DOES HIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE? First and foremost – our sins are forgiven, completely.  Religious formality has no authority over sin, Jesus does. We watch Jesus call the outcasts that religion often overlooks and bids them, ‘Follow Me.’   Jesus teaches us to rethink the motivation behind religious practices. Instead of becoming unclean by associating with the unclean, Jesus is Lord over all the corruption in life – He brings new life and restores the broken and unclean around Him.  Everyone is hungry for the life that Jesus offers, except for the religious leaders.
• Chapter 10 – THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO WORK THE HARVEST.  For a time, they are empowered to heal diseases, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits.  All must hear the Gospel message of the Kingdom and choose for themselves.  We are to go boldly and unashamed.
• Chapter 11 – THERE’S TWO OPTIONS… BEING A CHILD OF GOD OR BEING CHILDISH IN YOUR REFUSAL. He is Lord; we are not.  Insisting on your own way is not only childish, but incredibly dangerous. Being a child of God opens up your heart and mind to learn from God.
• Chapter 12 – GOD’S CHOSEN SERVANT – behavior that is not always modeled by religious leaders. 💔 We are all tempted by the real enemy – The Tempter. We are either under the influence of Satan, doubting God or we are God’s children, turning our backs on Satan’s influence in this world and aligning ourselves with the will of God as revealed in Scripture.
• Chapter 13 – Parables for this pre-harvest age and parables for the Kingdom of Heaven.
• Chapter 14 – The horrific death of John the Baptist and Jesus’ response – feeding 5000+ and walking on water.
• Chapter 15 – A Gentile woman reveals more faith than the Pharisees and the disciples.
• Chapter 16 – The Pharisees demand a sign – Jesus calls them wicked but promises the sign of Jonah. God reveals to Peter that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus shares the details of His suffering, death, and resurrection with His disciples then has to rebuke Peter as Satan when Peter objects to the plan!
• Chapter 17 – Jesus is transfigured; a few disciples get a glimpse. But it is beyond comprehension.
• Chapter 18 – Who’s the greatest in the kingdom? The humble child. We are given a few guidelines and warnings as to how we are to live this Christian life connected to other Christians.
• Chapter 19 – Can we divorce for any and every reason? No. But… but… stop and remember that the kingdom of heaven if for such as these… the children that come to Jesus… not the arrogant adults that justify their sinful, selfish behaviors that negatively affect others.  Even the ‘good’ people… the ‘rich’ people… those that seem ‘naturally’ blessed in this world don’t have eternal life without submitting to Jesus.
• Chapter 20 – there is only one Master – God. We are all servants. Whether we’ve been Christians for decades or days – we’re on equal footing… servants to the same master.  There is no hierarchy among the servants.  Humble yourself and serve… there’s no grumbling or complaining that can be justified.
• Chapter 21 – Jesus begins His triumphal entry into Jerusalem as a king… on a donkey. Matthew weaves in quite an assortment of Old Testament prophecies. Jesus asserts His authority and demonstrates it on a fig tree! 😊 There are two parables, the Two Sons and the Tenants, which are a clear warning to the religious leadership in Jerusalem.
• Chapter 22 – Another sobering parable for all listeners, regarding the Wedding Banquet.  No one gets to sneak in just because the original invitees refused to come.  ‘Wedding clothes’ are required. We are reminded that we are made in God’s image with the coin used to pay Caesar’s taxes… let Caesar have his coin… let God have His children. 💞 We are reminded that the marriage relationship is strictly an earthly relationship – it has an end date… until death do we part. Our priority is to love God first – get that vertical relationship straight, so you can properly love others.  (That is the great fruit He is looking for… love others right into heaven with you!  Bring them to Jesus to get properly clothed for the wedding feast!)  Time will end… Psalm 90:12 reminds us – So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
• Chapter 23 – Jesus warns against hypocrisy.  Outward appearances of righteousness won’t get you into the kingdom, even if you were blessed with a gift of sharing God’s Word. 
• Chapter 24 – We are all servants of a master. We are given the dignity to choose which master to serve.  Time is running out for us to make the choice.

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