Tag Archives: Matthew

Matthew 22- Parable of the Wedding Feast

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And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. Matthew 22:1-9

Just like the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, Jesus once again is teaching a parable about the New Covenant, the Gentiles now becoming Children of God through the blood of Christ. The return of Christ is compared to a Great Wedding Feast, Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride of Christ. However in this parable, when the Wedding Feast was announced, many would not come. Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus. Instead of receiving their Lord they crucified on a Roman pagan cross!

The scripture says “The remnant took his servants and persecuted and killed them” This is describing once again , the treatment Israel did to the prophets of God. When prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah spoke the word of God and told Israel to repent, they persecuted them and sometimes killed them. God said “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy” How are we worthy to enter the Kingdom of God? Only by being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and being sanctified with the Holy Spirit in the name of The Father!

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:10-14

The New Covenant is for Jew and Gentiles, who are Born Again through Jesus Christ. Your religion or nationality won’t save your soul, only the blood of Christ can save you! Notice those who reject Christ will be cast in outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth, this is another warning about Hell. Weeping and Gnashing of teeth is not temporary , it’s the eternal destiny of the wicked, those who reject Jesus Christ as their Lord

Many are called but few are chosen, why? Because many refuse to repent of their sins, many refuse to make Jesus their Lord and be obedient to his commands, many are defiled with sin and not filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, be ready for the Great Wedding Feast is coming soon! Amen!

Matthew 21- The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

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Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. Matthew 21:33-39

When Jesus taught this Parable of the Wicked Tenant, the religious leaders were probably cut to the heart, because they knew Christ was talking about Israel. Another thing to point out, is Jesus is once again prophesying about his death, that the Messiah had to die at the hands of sinful men. The Lord also talks about the prophets, that were repeatedly persecuted and killed by Israel , because Israel didn’t want to listen to the warnings by God. 

Israel was God’s elect people, and God provided and blessed this nation. However what happened, they choose to worship their false religion and idols, rather than repent and turn to the living God who delivered them out of slavery from Egypt. Throughout the Old Testament, we see many prophets God sent to preach His word, and time after time we see the same results , Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, ect they were all persecuted sometimes even killed, because Israel refused to repent and listen to Yahweh

So God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Christ, surely Israel would listen to their King and God in the flesh. However Israel rejected their Messiah, and they crucified him on a cross, just as Christ predicted would happen in this parable

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:40-43

The stone which the builders (Israel) rejected is the Chief Cornerstone (Jesus Christ) Israel rejected their Messiah, the Son of God, therefore Christ established his New Covenant with Jew and Gentile, anyone who is Born Again through Christ will be part of God’s Kingdom. As the scripture says “The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you (Israel) Anyone who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord, rejects God. Nobody is saved by their religion or nationality, you can only be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, to wash away your sins

The New Covenant was prophesied by the same prophets that Israel persecuted, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel all foretold about the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant. Everyone who calls upon the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, shall be saved! Amen!

Matthew 21- Parable of The Two Sons

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But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32

How does anyone inherit eternal life? Who will enter into the Kingdom of  Heaven? Jesus makes it very clear in this parable about the Two Sons. As Christ said “Unless you are Born Again , you can see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) This is the heart and root of this parable, your religion can’t save you, your family can’t save you, only the blood of Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit can save you! You have to be transformed and renewed, you need to become a New Creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The first son, rejected God at first, they were a wretched sinner, however eventually they repented. The word Repent means to change your mind or turn away from, Repentance is vital to your salvation. You must repent of your sins with godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) You need to be Born Again in Christ, you can’t still be the same sinner you were and claim to be Born Again. As the scripture says “As a  dog returns to its own vomit” (Proverbs 26:11) This is the same to someone who claims to have repented yet continues in the same sin, your a dog going back to your own vomit. Remember Repent is to turn away , it’s a change, you need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit!

The other son, claimed to obey God, they claimed to love God, but didn’t do anything God commanded them to do. They are a Lukewarm Christian and Christ said he will vomit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:15-16) They are the most repulsive people to God, those who claim to be religious yet live like a devil. Those who have not truly repented, have never become Born Again in Christ, they have never received the Holy Spirit, yet they claim they are a Christian. They live for the world instead of Christ, they live for power and prestige, they are not saved because they have not done the will of our Heavenly Father

There is a clear line drawn between the saved and the unsaved. Jesus said “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) From the beginning of Christ ministry, he preached repentance for salvation. Yet today we have watered down the gospel so much, everyone believes they are saved without repentance. They are like the second son, claiming to love God, but their fruits (Matthew 7) their lives tell a different story

Jesus ends this parable with a shocking statement “The tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God before you” I believe this was directed at the religious leaders listening. Religion won’t save your soul, only Jesus Christ can save your soul, Repent and believe the gospel , Amen!

Matthew 21- By What Authority?

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And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. Matthew 21:23-27

The religious leaders decided to challenge Jesus once again, and said to Christ “By what authority do you do these things”? Now the fact that the religious leaders are even asking this question, proves they witnessed Jesus miracles, they listened to Jesus teachings, they understood who Jesus is claiming to be, the Son of God, The Christ. So instead of the religious leaders acknowledging Jesus is the Messiah and being obedient to him, they decided to challenge him instead

Jesus responded with a question regarding the baptism of John the Baptist, “The baptism of John, was it from Heaven or from Men”? Christ was challenging the religious leaders now, basically asking them was John a prophet or not? Now it was pretty well known that John the Baptist was a prophet from God, however the religious leaders cared more about the opinions of people than the truth. They refused to answer Christ because the scripture said “they fear the people”. They feared the opinion of people more than they feared God

This question can be asked to all of us in our hearts, by what authority is Jesus speaking or performing miracles? Do you believe Jesus is God in the flesh? Or do you believe Jesus is just another prophet or created being? The deity of Christ is still a debated topic within the Church today, how can Jesus be your Lord and Master, if Christ is not God? That would be idolatry if Jesus was just a man or a prophet, this is why most Christians who deny the Trinity, have alot of theological issues with their doctrine. 

Because the religious leaders would not be honest with Christ, then he refused to answer their question about the baptism of John. The important thing is are we honestly seeking Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul? Or are we just trying to fit Christ into our own religion and ideologies? We must unharden our hearts to receive the truth from God, if we don’t humble ourselves first, we can never truly know who God is

The religious leaders witnessed many miracles of Christ, they heard hours of teaching by Jesus himself, yet they still hardened their hearts and wouldn’t receive the true gospel. By what authority did Jesus speak or perform miracles? By His authority because Jesus is God in the Flesh, Amen!

Matthew 21- The Fig Tree

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Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:18-22

When Jesus rebuked the Fig Tree and it immediately withered it reminded me of Christ teachings from Matthew 7, Jesus said “Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire” (Matthew 7:19) I believe the reason Christ cursed this Fig Tree in the presence of his Apostles, was to hammer home this point. Obedience to Jesus Christ is essential in our walk of faith. We can’t claim to love The Lord and be disobedient to his commands. 

Another thing that Christ is demonstrating here is his deity as God in the Flesh (John 1:14) Remember when Jesus commanded the winds and the sea to obey him, and they did (Matthew 8:23-27) Jesus did the same here with the Fig Tree, he demonstrated his sovereignty and power as God. Who else can command the trees and sea to obey him? Christ demonstrated He is Lord over All, Lord over the natural world and the supernatural world. 

Now coming to the subject of faith, Jesus said “If you have faith and don’t doubt, you shall be able to move mountains” Of course I’m paraphrasing here, but this is Jesus point, if you truly have faith, God will move mountains for you if you remain in complete faith with Christ.! You might ask “How is this possible”? Well remember as a Born Again Christ, the Holy Spirit is living inside of You (Romans 8:11) The same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead! Often as Christians, we forget that we are the Temple of God (1 Cor 3:16) and the Holy Spirit is living inside of us!

The original Greek word for Faith is “Pistis” , its a word that mean belief, trust, allegiance, and confidence. The word faith goes alot deeper than the way we view it in English, such as the same with the word Love or Agape in Greek. It’s a much deeper word than what our translation can convey. What’s my point? When we say we have “Faith in Christ” this is not just a shallow or philosophical statement, this is a way of life. Faith in Christ doesn’t mean you just repeat a few words and your saved, it means your follow and obey the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul

So when Jesus makes the statement “Whatever you ask in prayer, you shall receive” Many carnally abuse this scripture to get worldly things, however only those who are Born Again and have full allegiance to Christ , will be answered. Somebody who is not in the Will of God, is not in faith in Christ. This is what separates the Sheep and the Goats, the Wheat and The Tares, the Sinners and the Saints, it’s full faith in Christ alone!

Let the Fig Tree be a reminder to us all, that those who don’t produce good fruit in Christ, will be eventually chopped down and thrown into Hell Fire! (Matthew 7) May you be filled and led by the Holy Spirit in Jesus name, Amen!

Matthew 21- Cleanse The Temple

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And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, Matthew 21:12-15

Jesus didn’t just Cleanse The Temple once, he actually did this twice, Christ cleansed the Temple at the beginning of his ministry in John 2, and Christ is cleansing the Temple here during Holy Week, right before He is going to the cross. To understand why Jesus Cleansed The Temple , we need to understand the purpose of The Temple

Before Christ came to Earth, The Temple was the only place where God dwelled with His people on Earth. The Temple of God was to be a sacred space, however the Jews made The Temple a “Den of Thieves”. The Jews turned Gods Temple into a marketplace, selling merchandise and making profit, this is why Jesus famously flipped the tables and chased the merchants with whips. The Jews were bringing sin into Gods sacred space on Earth.

We see this alot today in Christianity, the Church sanctuary , should be a sacred space for Christians to gather and worship The Lord, however many Pastors have allowed their sanctuaries to be polluted with sin and idols. You can’t expect The Holy Spirit to dwell in a sinful space, this is why alot of Churches today have lost the Holy Spirit. The candlestick has been removed from their congregation , just as Christ warned to the Churches in Revelation

The Apostle Paul taught us that our bodies are the Temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives inside of us (1 Corinthians 3:16, Romans 8:11) We must treat our bodies as a sacred space also, we can’t allow sin to pollute our bodies and expect the Holy Spirit to remain in us

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Matthew 21:16-17

Jesus declared himself The Christ and King, The Lord cleansed his Fathers House, The Temple, Christ is now ready to go to the cross, to pay for the sins of the world! Notice also the Apostle Matthew is revealing Jesus is fulfilling another Messanic Prophecy referencing Jeremiah 7:11 and  Isaiah 56:7. Matthew continually does a great job of bringing together the Old and New Covenants

The Children in The Temple were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David” instead of the religious leaders. All the theological knowledge of the religious leaders couldn’t save their souls, only faith like a child in Christ, can save you! Amen!

Matthew 21- Palm Sunday

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And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. Matthew 21:1-7

Palm Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year, when we wave the Palm Branches at Church, it’s like stepping back in time when Jesus rode down the streets of Jerusalem. It’s an incredible event before it’s a fulfillment of prophecy in Zechariah, but it’s also a future event in Revelation 7, when the Great Multitudes are waving their Palm Branches for the King of Kings, Lord Jesus Christ! Palm Sunday is an event that connects Christians from the past, present , and future, it’s almost like when Christians partake in Communion

Another interesting detail is the topic of Palm Sunday has been one of the most popular topics on my blog. Of all the things I wrote about, Palm Sunday drew the largest views, and other articles I have written on Palm Sunday are some of the most viewed on my website. What that tells me is Christians understand the importance and significance of this event. Christ is bringing total fulfillment of the Old Covenant, and sharing a revelation of the New Covenant

The Apostle Matthew confirms to us that the event of Palm Sunday is a fulfillment of the Zechariah prophecy “All this was done, that is might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet” The disciples at the time probably didn’t understand why Jesus demanded a donkey, but they were faithful and obedient. The donkey was symbolic of peace and meekness, as Christ didn’t come to destroy the Roman Empire but to bring salvation to the world

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Matthew 21:8-11

We notice “The Great Multitude” spread their garments and cut down the Palm Branches, this is the same language we see in Revelation 7, “The Great Multitude”, crying Hosanna, to the Son of David” We see the multitude are affirming that Jesus is The Christ by calling him Son of David, which is a Messianic Title. The Palm Branches has multiple meanings, as they meant Victory and Eternal Life, both which are fitting for the coming of The Lord and King Jesus Christ

This was the very first time Jesus publicly declared himself the Christ and King! At the beginning of the week, the crowds were shouting “Hosanna”, by the end of the week they will be shouting “Crucify Him”! The question still today is which crowd are you a part of? Is Jesus your Lord and King? Or do you stand with the sinners who crucified The Lamb of God? The King of Kings is returning again soon! Amen!

Matthew 20- The Blind Receive Sight

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And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. Matthew 20:29-31

There are alot of things that can be said about this story, the two blind men crying out to The Lord Jesus to heal them. First we recognize that they know who Jesus is, they call him Lord and Son of David, which is a title for the Messiah (Christ) So they understand that Jesus is Lord and Christ. Secondly, by faith they are pursuing Christ, even though the crowd is rebuking them, they keep calling out to Jesus in faith to be healed

What are the signs of the Messiah? If we remember from Matthew 11, John the Baptist asked the question “Are You (Jesus) the One (Christ)?” And notice the response by Jesus, he quotes Isaiah “The blind receive sight” (Matthew 11:4-6) By Jesus healing these blind men, he is actually also fulfilling the prophecy of the Christ, Jesus is giving signs that he is the Son of God, the Messiah

Now we can also look at this in a spiritual sense, even though these men were physically healed, we were all spiritually blind. And when we became Born Again, we were all healed from our blindness. The Holy Spirit removed the scales from our eyes, and now we can see righteously. 

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. Matthew 20:32-34

Jesus asked the men “What do you want me to do for you?” They replied “Lord that are eyes may be opened” Are you asking Christ for the same thing? Are you seeking for our eyes to be spiritually opened by the Holy Spirit, so you can understand God and his word? So that you can discern good and evil from a Biblical perspective. This is why we must become Born Again to enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3)

Once they received their healing, they followed Christ. Once you are Born Again, there is no going back , you are a New Creature. Are you calling upon The Lord for salvation? Lord Jesus may our eyes be opened! Amen!

Matthew 20- Right Hand of Christ

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Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. Matthew 20:20-22

 Over and over again we talked about humbling ourselves as Christians, Jesus told us to “deny ourselves and carry our crosses” (Matthew 16:24) However the Zebedee brothers did not seem to get the memo, in fact they had their mother make a special request to Christ, to have one of her sons to sit at the right hand of Jesus. The fact that somebody would ask this, would indicate they either didn’t know what they are requesting or they are very arrogant with pride. 

Notice Jesus’ response “You don’t know what your asking” no offense mother Zebedee, but your totally out of your mind. However this shows you how our own human pride and ego can be so dangerous to think we could even comprehend a position of this authority. To sit at the right hand of Christ, would elevate yourself to almost a God-like position. Christ asked “Are you able to drink of the cup I shall drink”? Now I’m going to assume they had no idea what Jesus was referring to, however we know Christ it talking about his position as the Son of God, to lay down his life for the sins of the world, and then resurrect defeating death forever

Nobody can even come close to being able to sit at the right hand of Christ , however our human pride and egos want us to believe that. Notice the Zebedee brothers response “We are able”, these guys are Apostles, however their sinful flesh has overtaken them. Nobody is able or worthy except Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords

And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:23-28

Many ask why are there so many different Church denominations? Well look here, the 12 Apostles are already being divisive, as the Zebedee brothers tried to elevate themselves greater than all the Apostles, this obviously caused alot of friction between the disciples. As the scriptures say “They (Apostles) were moved with indignation” what is happening? The Zebedee brothers were putting their will and pride ahead of Gods, we must remain in God’s will to receive God’s blessings. 

Jesus summed it up when he said “The Son of Man came not to be served (ministered) but to serve (minister) and give his life as a ransom for many” Think about that, God in the flesh came to give his life for his elect. Christ didn’t look to exalt himself but he humbled himself to the cross to save us from our sins! Amen!

Matthew 20- The Gospel

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And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. Matthew 20:17-19

Here we see for the third time, Jesus prophesied about his death and resurrection to his disciples. Even after he told them this, time and time again, they still didn’t get it. When Jesus finally went to the cross, as Christ predicted, they were shocked and felt defeated. The disciples felt defeated, even though this is exactly what God told them he was going to do! They just didn’t understand God’s plan, just as we still don’t understand God’s plan for our lives, however we need to keep the faith in Christ, because God knows what he is doing!

Today’s reading is only 3 scriptures, and we could have easily skipped over it, but these 3 scriptures are the entire gospel, it’s the foundation of the entire BIble. Without the gospel message there is no hope or salvation for humanity. Why is the gospel message so difficult to grasp? No matter how many times we heard the gospel, why does it seem almost impossible? 

Here’s the reason why the gospel is so radical, because first we need to acknowledge our sinful state. Most people believe they are “good” people and there sin is not that bad, but they are wrong. All wages of sin lead to death, there is a price to pay for our sinfulness, someone has to pay the penalty! But first we need to acknowledge our sins against God and repent (turn away from our sins). Many people can’t get past this first step, they love their sin more than they love God or eternal life

Next we need to understand that God became a man to pay for the penalty of our sins (John 1:14, Isaiah 53) This is almost impossible for our minds to grasp, that God can become human, fully God and fully man (Philippians 2) and die on the cross for our sins. But this is exactly what Jesus did for us!  The fact that Christ knew you before the foundations of the world, choose you, and died for you to redeem you (Ephesians 1:4) 

And then we have the Resurrection of Christ, that Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, but Christ also defeated sin and death by rising from the dead  to live forever! (Luke 24, Matthew 28) Because Christ is Risen , we can also be risen forevermore at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) We can be redeemed and restored because of Jesus Christ

This is the gospel message , the only message that can bring hope to the entire world, a message that Satan doesn’t want to be heard or preached, so the world will continually have a strong resistance to the gospel message, but the gospel must be preached because it’s the living hope for our faith in Jesus Christ, Amen!