Month: June 2020

Scripture: Matthew 26: 31-35

Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night [disillusioned about Me, confused, and some even ashamed of Me], for it is written [in the Scriptures], ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I am raised [to life], I will go ahead of you [leading the way] to Galilee.” ³³ Peter replied to Him, “Though they all fall away because of You [and doubt and disown You], I will never fall away!” ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this night, before a rooster crows, you will [completely] deny Me three times.” ³⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Scripture Commentary:

All the disciples declared that they would die before disowning Jesus. However, a few hours later, they all scattered. Talk is cheap. It’s easy to say we are devoted to Christ but our claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the crucible of persecution.

How strong is your faith?

Is it strong enough to stand up under intense trial? Jesus was in great anguish over His approaching physical pain, separation from the Father, and death for the sins of the world. The divine course was set, but He, in His human nature, still struggled.

Because of the anguish Jesus experienced, He can relate to our suffering.

Jesus’s strength to obey came from His relationship with God the Father. God the Father is also the source of our strength. The sinless Son of God took our sins upon Himself to save us from suffering and separation.

Jesus tells us to trust in the Lord, God the Father, the Creator of all.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 26

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

The Holy Spirit Will Guide You to Understanding

Let Christ Set You Free

Scripture: Matthew 10: 17-22

Beware of men [whose nature is to act in opposition to God], for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you within that [very] hour; ²⁰ for it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up and rebel against their parents and cause them to be put death. ²² And you will be hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name, but it is the one who has patiently persevered and endured to the end who will be saved.

Scripture Commentary: Do not worry; stand firm on God’s Word.

Jesus told the disciples that when they are arrested for preaching the gospel, they should not worry about what to say in their defense. God’s Spirit will speak through them. When people read this, some mistakenly think this means they don’t have to prepare to present the gospel. God will take care of everything.

You are to read the Word of God to be prepared at all times. Standing firm to the end is not a way to be saved but the evidence that a person is really committed to Jesus.

Persistence is not a means to earn salvation.

Persistence is a by-product of a truly devoted life. Because God places such value on us, we need never fear personal threats or difficult trials. These can’t shake God’s love or dislodge His Spirit from within you. God gave His Son to die for you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 10

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

God Never Abandons

Are You Confirming Scripture or Conforming It?

Scripture: Matthew 7: 15-23

“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’

Scripture Commentary:

False prophets were common in Old Testament times. They prophesied only what the king and the people wanted to hear, claiming it was God’s message. False teachers are just as common today.

We should evaluate teachers’ words by examining their lives. Just as trees are consistent in the kind of fruit they produce, good teachers consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral character as they attempt to live out the truths of Scripture.

Jesus exposed the people who sounded religious but had no personal relationship with Him. On “that day” (judgment day), only our relationship with Christ matters. Only our acceptance of Him and obedience to Him matters. In reality, faith in Christ is what will count at the judgment.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 7

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Who is Weak in Faith, and Who is Strong?

Spiritual Wealth

Scripture: Matthew 8: 1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds ^[a]followed Him. ² And a leper came up to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You are able to make me clean (well).” ³ Jesus reached out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. ⁴ And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one [about this]; but go, show yourself to the priest [for inspection] and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony (evidence) to them [of your healing].”

Scripture Commentary:

Leprosy – like AIDS when it was first diagnosed, and COVID 19 today – was a terrifying disease because there was no known cure. In Jesus’ day, the Greek word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar diseases. Some of them were contagious.

If a person contracted the contagious type, a priest declared him a leper and banished him from his home and city. The leper was sent to live in a community with other lepers until s/he either got better or died. Yet when the leper begged Jesus to heal him, Jesus reached out and touched him even though his skin was covered with the dreaded disease.

Sin, like leprosy, is also an incurable disease.

We all have it. Only Christ’s healing touch can miraculously take away our sins and restore us to real living. But first, just like the leper, we must realize our inability to cure ourselves and ask for Jesus’ saving help.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 8

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Recognize God’s Work in You

Don’t Be a Slave to Sin

Scripture: Matthew 15: 10-18

After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said, “Listen and understand this: ¹¹ It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”

¹² Then the disciples came and said to Jesus, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard you say this?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be torn up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them alone; they are blind guides ^[b][leading blind followers]. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.” ¹⁶ And He said, “Are you still so dull [and unable to put things together]? ¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. 

Scripture Commentary:

I will paraphrase this verse as follows: it’s what comes out of man’s mouth that defiles and dishonors him, not what goes in. It’s what you say and think that makes you unclean!

Jesus told His disciples to leave the Pharisees alone because they were blind to God’s truth just as many are today. Not all religious leaders clearly see God’s truth.

It is not enough to act religious.

Our worship means nothing when we claim to honor God while our hearts are far from Him. Our actions and our attitudes must be sincere. We work hard to keep our outward appearance attractive. But what is in our hearts is even more important. The way we are deep down in our heart and mind matters much to God.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 15

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Follow the Truth

You Are the Branch In Need of a Vine

Scripture: Matthew 13: 12-15

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. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]

Scripture Commentary:

When speaking in parables, Jesus was not hiding truth from sincere seekers. Those who were receptive to spiritual truth understood the illustrations. To others they were only stories without meaning. This allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it while preventing His enemies from trapping Him.

Human ears hear many sounds but there is a deeper kind of listening that results in spiritual understanding.

If you honestly seek God’s will, you have spiritual hearing. And these parables give you new perspectives.

Don’t be discouraged if you do not always see results as you faithfully teach the Word. To those who are honestly searching, the truth becomes clear. Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God. It will help you grow spiritually and become closer to Him.

We are to make ourselves ready by making sure that our faith is sincere.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 13

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

Do You Believe Christ is Raised From the Dead?

You Don’t Have to Be a Slave to Sin

Scripture: Matthew 21: 18-21

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Scripture Commentary: The fig tree is us.

As the fig tree wasn’t bearing fruit, so too are we if we are not living, talking and spreading the Word of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not share our religion, it has no substance.

Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination, so the church looks today in some cases. This is the case if the congregants are not there to worship God sincerely.

Faith must bear fruit.

If we only appear to have faith without putting it to work in our lives, we are like the tree that withered and died because it bore no fruit. If we have faith, we can move mountains of lost sinners to the love of Jesus. This is what Jesus means by performing Christian love in His name.

What kinds of mountains do you face? As followers of Christ, God has given you authority. You can confidently speak and act on His behalf. He has authorized you. Are you exercising your authority?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 21

Read Other Commentary from the New Testament:

I Can Do All Things Through Christ

Don’t Live Like the Gentiles