Tag Archives: Matthew

Matthew 17-Children of God

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And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:24-27

Again we see the religious leaders “testing” Jesus to see what he will do, we seen this throughout the gospels, the religious leaders trying to trap Christ in doing something morally wrong. Obviously they misunderstood that Jesus is God in the flesh, they were actually testing God , and so their continual attempts failed time and time again.

They asked Peter “Does your Master (Jesus) pay the two drachmas or tribute” this was a temple tax that all Jews were required to pay to support the temple, suppor the priests and buy sacrifices, ect. The religious leaders were hoping Jesus would refuse to pay, so they could bring charges against him. As Jesus said to Peter “So that we should not offend them” Christ paid the tax

Now a few things were revealed during this moment, first Jesus asked Peter “Do Kings collect money from their own family or from others”? Peter answered from others, so Jesus said “The sons are exempt” but The Lord paid it anyway not to offend anyone. However Jesus was revealing here, that since they are Children of God, they are exempt from the tax. Remember the Temple belongs to God, this was His sacred space before Christ instituted the New Covenant, Jesus was demonstrating they are now Children of God through Christ. 

Another thing we see here is the miracle, Christ and his disciples didn’t have any money at the time, so he advised Peter to go fishing, and Christ said the first fish you catch will have the money you need in it. By faith Peter obeyed Christ and God provided financially for the disciples. We need to remember this, that God is our provider, when there seems to be no way, God will make a way if we are obedient. Finding money in fish sounds like a bad financial plan, but Peter was faithful to Christ and He provided.

Even though Jesus should never pay a tax for The Temple built essentially for him, Christ did it anyway, to not offend or to be “good citizens” As Christians we are to be the Salt and Light (Matthew 5) we are to obey our government as long as it doesn’t contradict the Law of God (Romans 13) As Jesus declared “We are the Children of God” though Christ , Amen

Matthew 17- Passion of The Christ Part 2

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And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. Matthew 17:22-23

Today’s scripture reading is only two scriptures, however it’s the core to the entire Bible. The gospel of Jesus Christ, is the foundation for our faith, it’s the only reason we have any hope in this world, that Christ died, Christ is Risen, and Christ will come again! As the Apostle Paul said “If Christ is not Risen, then our faith is useless” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

Now the amazing thing is Christ foretold about his death and resurrection multiple times to his disciples, however when it happened, they still didn’t understand it. Even today many people still don’t understand the gospel, they don’t understand why Christ had to die on the cross, they don’t understand why Christ rose on the 3rd day, and they forget that Christ is coming back again to establish Gods eternal Kingdom

Notice the response of the disciples “they were exceeding sorry or deeply grieved” why? Because they thought the Kingdom of God was being established at that moment, they believed Jesus Christ would take his Earthly throne in Jerusalem and wipe out the Romans , and they would be ruling with The Messiah. They were not far off, but there timing was wrong. Christ didn’t come first to establish his Earthly Kingdom, but to first save people from their sins

The problem of sin, was overlooked during that day as it’s overlooked this day. We have all fallen short and are sinners (Romans 3:23) God can’t be reconciled with his people until they become Born Again (John 3) we need to be cleansed of our sin and justified before God. This is why Jesus Christ had to die on the cross, and this is why we all need to Repent and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39)

Now I grieve the death of Christ just as I’m sure all of us do and should, and the disciples were exceedingly sorry or deeply grieved. However because God so loved the world that Christ willingly laid down his life for you to pay the penalty of your sins. Jesus Christ knew his mission was to be the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, this is why he foretold his disciples multiple times that he would be killed. Just as the prophet Isaiah foretold throughout Chapter 53, Christ is the suffering servant, despised and rejected, for our sins. This should make you love The Lord even more, that he loved you enough to lay down his life for yours!

And on the 3rd Day, Christ rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. The curse that is upon us all is death from the wages of our sins. But Jesus Christ became our curse to remove the curse from us (Galatians 3:13) The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Good News for a reason, because Christ paid the penalty for your sins, and defeated sin and death, so that you may inherit eternal life and live with God , Amen!

Matthew 17- Power of Faith

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And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Matthew 17:14-16

Here we see an example, where a man brought his son to the disciples to be healed, and they couldn’t cure him. Now this brings up some questions, why did the disciples fail to heal this boy? Was it due to their lack of faith? Was it due to the boy’s lack of faith? Was it not God’s will for the boy to be healed? Now first we see the demonstration of faith by the Father, as he took his son to Christ and said “Lord , have mercy on my son”

Another thing we need to acknowledge here, is this is not just an illness or medical issue, this was a demonic force that had a grasp on the boy. Meaning , the disciples were not just fighting against flesh and blood here, they were fighting against spiritual demonic forces. Were they prepared spiritually to fight this battle? Are we prepared to fight the spiritual warfare around us? (Ephesians 6)

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:17-20

Jesus answers all our questions here, first he calls them all a “Faithless and Perverse Generation” doesn’t sound like the cuddly Jesus they teach in Sunday School. Christ rebukes the disciples for having no faith, this is why they couldn’t cast out the demon. This brings up a good point, not only does the person, who needs to be healed needs faith, but the one praying for them needs faith also. Asking for faithless people to pray for you is useless, faith is the foundation of our salvation. Without faith you can’t please God (Hebrews 11:6) and you can’t be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Christ rebuked the demon and cast them out immediately, the disciples’ response was “Why could we not cast them out”? Jesus said “Because of your unbelief” , you need to have true faith in Christ! Most people hope and wish God would do something, this doesn’t impress God, you need faith, total assurance that Christ is able!

Jesus said with faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. All it takes is faith in Christ! Surrender yourself to The Lord, put your faith in Jesus Amen!

Matthew 17- Transfiguration Of Christ

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And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. Matthew 17:1-8

Today we look at an event, where Jesus gives some of his disciples a revelation on the future of his glorification, but also demonstrates the New Covenant. When The Lord Jesus appeared to Peter, James, and John, his face shined like the sun. This is the same way , the Apostle John of Revelation described Christ, The Lord was showing them his future glorification after the cross and empty tomb

But also we see Moses and Elijah here on the mountain with Jesus. Now the first thought is these men are supposed to be dead, but they are alive and well in Heaven. Those people who support the concept of “soul sleep” would have a hard time explaining how Moses and Elijah are alive and standing with Jesus. But more importantly, it’s what these men represent. Moses represents The Law and Elijah represents The Prophets. As Jesus said “I did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets but to Fulfill “ (Matthew 5:17) This is a representation of the New Covenant of Christ. 

And more importantly we hear the voice of God the Father affirming who Christ is “This is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased, listen to him” The Father also affirmed Christ at his baptism. But it also reminds you of Mt. Sinai when Moses stood before God in the cloud and was delivered The Law. Now the Church is receiving the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone

And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:9-13

Now notice Jesus didn’t want his disciples to tell anyone what they saw, until the Son of Man is glorified, why? Because Jesus wanted people to come to Christ in faith, we see this over and over again throughout his ministry. Then once Christ rose from the dead on the 3rd day, the gospel was and still is preached everywhere to everyone.

Another thing is the fulfillment of John the Baptist is revealed, it was prophesied the Elijah must come before the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6) Christ reveals this was fulfilled by John the Baptist, the Messenger of The Lord

The Transfiguration of Christ, gives some disciples a future glimpse and revelation of who Jesus is, and about the New Covenant has come, Amen!

Matthew 16- Carry Your Cross

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Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

So you think it’s easy to be a Christian? Listen to the words of The Lord Jesus Christ “Deny yourself, carry your cross, and follow me” These are initial commands given by Christ if you want to be His disciple. These commands are in complete opposition to today’s “Christianity”. The false religion of today tells us “Jesus loves you just as you are” while Jesus said “Deny Yourself” meaning repent! Today’s Christianity teaches “health, wealth, and prosperity” but Christ taught “Carry Your Cross”, meaning your life isn’t going to be an easy walk, it’s going to be a walk of persecution, sacrifice, and service for God’s Kingdom

Today’s false religion tells you to “Follow your Heart” but Jesus said to “Follow Him”, if your going to be a Christian, then you need to be a servant of Christ! Jesus said “Whoever will save his life, will lose it, whoever will lose his life, shall find it” These words of Christ tear apart the foundation of false Christianity today. While the Church today worries more about the budget than they care about saving souls!

What does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? While we live in a world focused on making money and buying possessions, these things will not save your soul from Hell. Most people today don’t even believe in Hell, because their Pastors don’t preach about it and modern day theologians have watered down the concept, but the majority of civilization is headed for eternal torment! Jesus Christ is the only cure, focus on The Lord and not of this world

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Matthew 16:27-28

When Christ returns , he shall reward everyone according to their works, many today would say you’re a “legalist” or this is “works based salvation”, but these are the words of Jesus Christ. You can’t be a Born Again Christian and just sit on your couch watching people go to Hell, you need to preach the gospel as commanded to us by Christ himself (Matthew 28:19)

Secondly, your “works” doesn’t determine your salvation, it’s the works of Christ that saved you. However if you are Born Again and filled with the Holy Spirit, then there should be fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5, Matthew 7) or evidence of your conversion. Your “works” don’t make you saved but are evidence that you are saved

If you think being a Christians is an easy walk, look at the life of Jesus, look at the life of the Apostles, look at the life of the early Church, our hope and promise is in the resurrection of Christ and God’s eternal Kingdom, Amen!

Matthew 16- Passion of The Christ

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From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matthew 16:21-23

The Cross of Christ seems like a mystery, even 2,000 years after it happened. The questions of why did Jesus have to die? Why would the Son of God willingly lay down his life? What does this cross mean for us today? These are questions many ponder today and questions the disciples pondered centuries ago, however Jesus already answered these questions before he even went to the cross!

Jesus said “How he (Christ) must go into Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and rise again on the 3rd day” Jesus clearly laid out God’s redemption plan for humanity, however the disciples and many people today, still don’t understand what Jesus did for us! Even when the scriptures foretold in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, that the Messiah had to die, the disciples still didn’t understand what Jesus told them

Peter actually rebuked Jesus, think about that! Peter said “Lord , this should not happen to you” Now Peters heart was in the right place, but he didn’t understand God’s redemption plan for humanity, that Christ would pay for the sins for the world so we can be justified before God the Father and inherit eternal life. I fear many today still don’t understand this fact, that Christ is our Passover Lamb, that Jesus paid it all on the cross!

The first step is the understanding of our sinful nature, our depravity. Until people recognize they are sinners and repent, they will never understand the cross of Christ. If people truly understood their sinful nature, and they understood the wages of sin is death, then they would be crawling to the cross! This is why it’s important to preach the gospel of Christ, which was commanded by Jesus himself (Matthew 28:19)

In another twist, Jesus called Peter “Satan”! Why? Because he totally misunderstood the gospel, and misunderstood Christ’s mission here on Earth, to bring salvation to everyone who repents and becomes Born Again! The Passion of the Christ, is the core of the gospel message, and is God’s finished redemption plan for humanity! Amen!

Matthew 16- Who Is Jesus?

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When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:13-16

Who do you say Jesus is? This is a question we should all ponder in our hearts. Do you know Jesus? If someone asked you who Jesus is, could you properly explain? This is probably the most important question in your whole life, do you know the real Jesus? Christ asked his own disciples this same question and got some various responses. Some people thought Christ was John the Baptist, some people believed Jesus was the prophet Isaiah, some believe he was the prophet Jeremiah, but Jesus asked “Who do you say that I am”?

Even in todays world, if you asked multiple people who Jesus is, your going to get different responses. For example, if you asked a Muslim who Jesus is, your going to get a response than a Jehovah Witness, or if you asked a Mormon your going to get a different response from an Orthodox Jew. You see everybody has different thoughts and ideas about who Jesus is, but do you know the real Jesus? Do you know the Christ from the Bible?

Peter knew who Jesus is, he said “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”, that is the correct answer. How did Peter know the real Jesus? Because Peter has a personal relationship with Christ, not a religion. If you want to know the real Jesus, read the Word of God, don’t listen to the words of man

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. Matthew 16:17-20

How did Peter know who Jesus is? God revealed it to him, as Paul said “The natural man doesn’t understand the things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Peter understood the words of Jesus because of the Holy Spirit, without the Spirit of God, we can’t understand God. This is why so many false religions are confused about the real Jesus, because they don’t have the Holy Spirit, they are led by the flesh of man

Jesus said” Upon this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” , the Catholics believe the Rock is Peter but Jesus Christ is the Rock,  the Chief Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:7) even the Apostle Peter said this himself! Our foundation is in Christ alone, the Son of the Living God, Amen!

Matthew 16- Beware of The Leaven

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And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Matthew 16:5-10

Jesus again is going to use Bread as an analogy to teach the disciples about not listening to false teachers and false doctrine. Jesus said to them “ Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” The disciples totally misunderstood what Jesus was saying , and thought he was talking about actual bread. However Christ was referring to “The Leaven” of the religious leaders, meaning their false teachings

As the Apostle Paul said “ A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9) meaning a little false doctrine or false teachers corrupts the whole community. We see this in Christianity today, many false teachers teaching false doctrines confusing many Christians about their salvation or who Christ is. This is why Jesus warned the Apostles, beware of the religious leaders!

But the disciples thought Jesus was referring to physical bread, and then Christ’s response was “O You of little faith” think about this, the disciples just experienced The Lord providing bread for over 9,000 people with limited loaves, and they still don’t have any faith. The disciples are still worried about how God will provide for them!

How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matthew 16:11-12

Jesus said to them “How is this you don’t understand?” The disciples totally missed the point, Christ was warning them about false teachers and they are worried about where their next meal is coming from, doesn’t this sound familiar? The Church today is more worried about money and numbers, yet they compromise doctrine to appease people

Listen to the warning of Jesus Christ! Beware of false teachers! Beware of false doctrine! The Word of God is your foundation and authority, Amen!

Matthew 16- The Sign

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The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. Matthew 16:1-4

We live in a world and generation that is fixated on the thought of science and philosophy, to the extreme that it has become the religion and faith for those who have rejected God and his sovereignty. People will make ridiculous theories and label them as “science” so they can be validated and accepted as truth. However the majority of these theories have no truth in them, and are total depravity. As the Apostle Paul said “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22)

The religious leaders were no different, they created their own laws and rules, and rejected the One true God. When Jesus Christ, the Messiah, walked the Earth, not only did they reject him, but they challenged him to provide a sign. The fact that God became a human being and performed miracles, wasn’t enough for them. The reality is they didn’t really care about God or want to know God. They wanted to validate their depraved theories to justify their sinful lifestyle, the same with our society today

Jesus called them out “You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky, but you can’t discern the sign of the times” The key word here is “discern” , the religious leaders and this world have no spiritual discernment.The natural man doesn’t understand the things of God  (1 Corinthians 2:24) People go to college to predict the weather, but they can’t discern who created the Heavens and Earth. They can’t discern good and evil, they can’t discern who Jesus Christ is. They demand a sign, as a loophole to escape Gods judgment, which will not happen unless they repent and become Born Again (John 3:3, Luke 13:3)

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20

People demand a sign from God, however God made it clear, the evidence of his existence is clearly seen, and we are without excuse!  Those who believe on judgment day, they can escape the wrath of their sins by demanding a sign will be mistaken! Everyone in their heart knows God created the Heavens and the Earth, the evidence of God’s existence is clearly seen in the planet and human life, you are without excuse! You won’t be able to argue your way out of your sentence, the wages of sin is death! (Romans 3:23)

If you’re looking for a sign, look to Jesus Christ! As God said “This will be a sign to you, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, his name will be Immanuel (God is with Us) (Isaiah 7:14) Amen!

Matthew 15- Bread from Heaven

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And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. Matthew 15:30-34

Most of us are familiar with Jesus feeding the 5,000 people, however here is another instance where Christ fed 4,000 plus people in the wilderness. Now we notice great crowds coming to see Jesus in the wilderness, but why? We see Christ performed many miracles and healings, and of course that made the people in awe and wonder, but were they really coming to Christ for the right reasons?

We see this scenario in John 6, when great multitudes were coming to Jesus because they wanted to be healed or they wanted to witness a miracle, but that was about it. You see many came to Christ to see a performance but they didn’t come to Christ for salvation. They wanted a miracle but they didn’t recognize who really was the Miracle. They wanted to be healed but didn’t recognize the Great Healer!

But Jesus had compassion on the great multitude, and was going to perform another miracle, a feeding of 4,000 people with 7 loaves of bread. Now also, we must recognize that Christ in the New Covenant is the “Greater Exodus”, as Moses led the Israelites through the Wilderness and God provided the Bread from Heaven, Jesus Christ delivered the bread himself and Christ himself is the Bread from Heaven!

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. Matthew 15:35-38

Notice the symbolic number of 7, which means completion in the Bible, and while the great miracle satisfied everyone for that day, I wonder if they recognize the greater miracle in Jesus Christ? Often ourselves we look at the temporal world and don’t look towards  God’s eternal Kingdom. The Bread satisfied their bodies for the day, but the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, can satisfy their soul for all eternity!

Are you fixated on the miracle or the Miracle Worker? Look at the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ who will give you eternal life and not just temporary satisfaction, Amen