Matthew 24:35–Jesus' Words Will Never Pass Away

Matthew 24:35–"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

This is one of those great statements, a statement of eternity, of everlasting mature.  Jesus is making quite a confession here.  And, to be sure, this is a statement of insanity, that is, unless He is who He claims to be.  If, however, Jesus is who He claims to be, then this statement is of remarkable importance.  In reality, if Jesus is the Son of God then we would to take this claim as seriously as it is given.  We would do wise, actually, to pay great attention to what Jesus says if His words are to be eternal...

Matt. 4:2–Jesus Was Hungry

Matthew 4:2–"And after fasting forty days and forty nights, and He was hungry."

Talk about the understatement of understatements: He was hungry.  I can barely make it past lunch before I'm starving.  Jesus goes forty days and forty nights.  And then, it says, He was hungry.  It is at this point in the story, when Jesus is exhausted and hungry that Satan comes to tempt Him.

You see, Jesus was like us.  He got tired like us, He got thirsty like us, and He got hungry like us.  But unlike us, He never sinned in His exhaustion, never strayed in His thirst, and never let His stomach distract from His devotion.

Jesus is our example.  Let us try to be like Him when we're hungry!

Matt. 7:13-14–The Wide & Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-14–"Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

The narrow gate and the wide gate.  Two gates, two paths to salvation.  One, the wide one, leads to destruction.  But if one would choose the wide gate, at least they wouldn't have to go it alone for there are many who go through it.  On the other hand, there is the narrow gate that leads to life eternal. Unfortunately, for those that would desire life eternal this way is hard and, to add to the difficulty, one may find themselves alone on the journey.

Boiling down the question to its root is essential.  Most important is the recognition that this proposition is anything but hypothetical.  Rather, these 'gates' are choices of utmost import.  The choice, the gate, is rendered basically in this simple question:

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for the forgiveness of sin?

Matt. 11:28-30–Jesus Gives Rest

Matthew 11:28-30–"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

There is no doubt that it could be confusing to consider that what brings rest is to take Christ's yoke upon us.  It is then of great value to understand what Jesus means of when He speaks of a 'yoke' and 'burden' but it is of even greater value to realize that these things are light and easy.  The heart of this matter is that Jesus gives rest to those who are weak and heavy laden, however, it is tremendously liberating to know that to receive this rest involves a simply posture of praise: come to Christ and receive from Him rest.  It is about submission and deference to He who is.  Although it may seem odd, my most immediate and animal response to such information is to take a large, relieving breath.

Thank You, Lord!!!

Matthew 15:10-11–Not What Goes In That Defiles; It Is What Comes Out

Matthew 15:10-11–"And He called the people to Him and said to them, 'Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes our of the mouth; this defiles a person.'"

Being a person that is prone to vocal verbosity I can speak with a certain amount of experience about the content of this passage.  Speech can be the greatest source of comfort or the greatest source of pain to those around us–depending, of course, upon what we say and how we say it.  This is why it is so important that we would strive to tame our tongues, for they possess a great power for destruction or healing.  The same source of venom is the same source of salve.  We would do well to remember this all the days of our lives.

Matthew 7:7-8–Ask, Seek, Knock–The Nature of Persistent Devotion

Matthew 7:7-8–"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

God never refuses those who would earnestly search for Him.  He always reveals Himself to those who honestly and sincerely ask and seek and knock.  This quest is about persistence, about pursuit. The relevant question one needs to ask one's self is: how far have I gone in my persistent pursuit of God, or how far would I go to find God?

God is trustworthy to faithfully provide for all those who would search for Him with all their hearts. We need only take to this task with as much effort as it deserves.

But praise be to God for who He is, faithful and righteous for all eternity!

Amen!

Matthew 22:37–Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:37–"He said to them, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind."

Although I have written on this verse before, because it is such a foundational text I am going to look at it still.  But like an overflowing well we can go back to it again and again.  I only want to ask a simple albeit direct question today:

Why does God command this?

God does not need anything, and He most certainly does not need our love.  Furthermore, even in commanding it, He, being omniscient, had to have known that we would be unable or, at the very least, unwilling.  This leads to one logical conclusion:

God knew that we would need to love Him.

Consider that today, ponder it as you live life, thinking about how God created us needing to love Him. There is so much more to say about this but suffice for now to acknowledge that He did this by His good pleasure and will.  Therefore, let us strive to love God, not just because He commanded it but also because to love Him is, after all, the essence of our being.  To not love Him, then, would be like denying who we are in our core.  Let us simply turn to Him in love and adoration so as to keep our focus and our input right and in line with what God intended for us from the beginning.

Matt. 5:34-35–Love Your Enemy

Matthew 5:34-35–"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.  For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

This is one of the many offensive statements Jesus makes, exhorting us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.  It would seem that Jesus expects a totally different sort of ethic for Christians, an altogether other way to live life and relate to those around us.  Needless to say, to love your enemy is hard enough but to pray for those who would persecute us–well, that is just plain ridiculous.  However, Jesus doesn't end there: He follows that statement up with another bomb–so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.  In a real sense, Jesus is indicating that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in order that we may be sons of our heavenly Father; as in, it is through our love that our parentage is proven or made secure.  Let us, then, take this exhortation as seriously as it is given so as to make our election and our inheritance sure.

Matthew 7:12–Do Unto Others...

Matthew 7:12–"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

I have many thoughts on this verse, as I am sure many of you do as well.  But at the onset, my initial response is a question: really, this little maxim summarizes almost the whole Old Testament?  But this is what Jesus is saying, that the majority of the Old Testament can be reduced to a simple phrase, a compact phrase to live by.  My second thought, then, carries with it an exhortation: if only I could actually do this...

Fortunately, what Jesus continually asserts is that no one can actually do it.  We need to be made new in order that we would be able to live like this verse asks of us.  This is one of the main reasons Jesus came and died: so that we would be remade and be enabled to live this way.  Once we make Christ the center of our lives, we are empowered to actually do what this verse asks us to do.  Therefore, let's always strive to keep Christ first as we are intent upon living a life that brings God glory and loves people as we would have them love us!

Matt. 6:19-21–Lay Up Right Treasures

Matthew 6:19-21–"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

This is one of those passages that I need to go over often.  It is so direct and full but also convicting and difficult.  I would like to say that I don't ever have to deal with this, as in I never lay up earthly treasure for myself, but as it is I have to admit that I do sometimes struggle.  Perhaps the reason Jesus has to make such a clear statement about treasure is that we are so prone to striving after counterfeit treasure, that is, we are more eager for the temporal treasures that won't last than the treasures that don't. Moreover, Jesus is clear to assert that there is a direct connection between the treasure we seek and the nature of our hearts.  We would be wise to consider the content of this passage often, and as often as we do, to remember that anything other than Christ is but ash and cannot satisfy.

Matthew 5:14–You Are the Light of the World

Matthew 5:14–"You are the light of the world."

This statement by Christ is about identity.  In a real way, He is defining His believers as the light of the world.  But how can this be, considering that John calls Jesus the light of the world (John 1:9-10)? Luckily, Jesus answers this question for us.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12)."

The point is that Christians become the light of the world through Christ.  It is by God's indwelling presence that we are transformed from people of darkness into people of the light.  Let us claim this transformed identity and live like creatures of the light in Christ!

Matt. 11:28–Jesus Gives Rest

Matthew 11:28–"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

This is quite a statement for Jesus to make.  Jesus does not say that He knows where those who are heavy burdened may find rest, as if He were going to point them to a special vacation resort or something.  He doesn't say that this rest is about a place or an action at all.  No, He says that He will give people rest.  In no mean or ambiguous terms, Jesus is claiming to be the true source of rest to any and all that would come to Him.  Again, this is quite a statement!

Can He give rest to us?  Does He? Do we believe Him?  

This seems to be a good place to end this particular dialogue, simply putting forth these questions for us to ponder.  Yes, Jesus is the true source of rest; yes, if we come to Him in faith He gives us this rest; and yes, He gives this rest to all who would come to Him.

Let us think about that when we feel labored and heavy laden!

Matthew 7:7-8–Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8–"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."

Part of this statement by Jesus is about persistence.  Another part of it is about pursuing God.  And then there's the other part about the faithfulness of God for those who persistently pursue Him.  In some ways, the essence of the relationship between God and man is a dynamic one, meaning that our relationship to the Almighty is exactly that: a relationship.

Isn't it true that we sometimes forget this reality in our own Christian experiences?  How often do we think of God as a cold, static being that only expects us to live and behave in certain ways or to believe certain things?

There is so much here by the way of persevering in prayer and in pursuing God, but suffice to say that what God wants from us is a relationship of honesty and sincerity.  At the very least, we would do well to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking at God's door in faith.

What is Impossible for Man but Possible for God!

Matthew 19:25-26–"When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'"

Throughout the New Testament, particularly in the mouth of Jesus, the limits of man are stated, affirmed, restated, reaffirmed, declared, exhorted, taught, and asserted.  And the chief limitation of man is in the highest: that man is wholly unable to achieve or earn a morally right standing before a holy God.  In more clear words, the human being possesses no strength of will or fortitude of character so powerful as to be able to earn or merit salvation upon himself.

The Jews of Jesus' day thought that if the laws were understood or articulated sufficiently then the human being could pull himself up by his moral bootstraps, so to speak, and be righteous.  Jesus, however, asserts an entirely different position: that man is wholly unable to please God in His flesh–remember these two statements: the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63-65), and that man must be born again (John 3:3).

Quite plainly, it is impossible for the natural man to claim any righteousness or holiness of his own volition; it is not merely improbable to be so holy of character and will, it is utterly impossible.  This is central both to understanding the necessity of Christ but also for the human person to recognize the reality of his or her actual spiritual condition.  The great distance between the holiness of God and the depravity of man is not merely a difference of degree as much as it is a complete dissonance of constitution and kind.

We cannot please God because we are wholly unable to please or even choose to please Him apart from a primary Divine intervention that transforms and compels our beings to become inclined towards Him–again, remember that no one can come to God unless or until God Himself grants him or her to do so (John 3:27; 6:44, 65).

In no ambiguity, then, the whole of Christianity rests upon what God has done first.  Our election, our predestination, our conversion, our faith; its framework and impetus rests solely upon God's intervening in our beings and transforming our natural inclinations away from the flesh and to Him.  To be sure, this calls for nothing less than absolute praise at the overwhelming grace of God, and our complete devotion to His majesty.  After all, a miracle has occurred!  This is why it is such a profound thing to think that what is an impossibility for man is not only possible for God, it is amazing!

Matthew 16:24–If You Want Jesus, You Have To Deny Yourself

Matthew 16:24–"Then Jesus told His disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let Him deny Himself and take up His cross and follow me.'"

This is one of the principle teachings of Christ, if not the principle teaching of Scripture.  In many ways, it is the singular focus of the Christian life, that we would deny ourselves.  And the denial of self is not merely giving up certain fancies; it is the complete transformation of who we are.  It is the dramatic renewal of intention, desire, and will, so that we would actually put God's will before our own whimsy. To be sure, though, the essence of this sort of denial is about devotion.  It is about replacement and reconciliation, that we would be renewed in our minds and in our hearts so as to be ever praising God in the very depths of our beings.  Additionally, this is more than a one-time event; it is a lifestyle transformation.  O that we would commit to such a change as this!!!

Matthew 22:15-22–Whose Likeness Is On This Coin?

Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

This is one of the most famous passages in the Gospels.  And we remember it, we know what it says.  Most of us can understand that Jesus is answering the questions of people more interested in catching Jesus make a mistake than hearing what He actually has to say about it.  We can also understand that Jesus' response is both clever and convicting.  However, while the question that the Pharisees do ask is a valid question, even if it does betray the hearts of the askers, it is the question that they don't ask that is the most striking feature.

Jesus answers the Pharisees with a question, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"  To which they reply, "Caesar's."  Jesus then says: "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Jesus assesses the coin by the inscription upon it; in fact, it is the image on the coin that defines the coin's ownership.  When Jesus replies to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, the pertinent responding questions should have been this:

What belongs to God?  Where is God's inscription?

Answering these questions are essential to the life of a believer/human being, therefore, I suggest spending some time considering these questions for yourselves.  I suggest checking out Genesis 1:27-29...

Matthew 1:20-21–Joseph Learns About Jesus' Parentage

Matthew 1:20-21–"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit, she will bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'"

While this is not the very beginning of the Christmas story, it is, in some ways, perhaps the most important part.  It is in these verses that Jesus' divine ancestry is conveyed and confirmed to Joseph, the man to whom Mary is betrothed.  Foundational to Christianity is the assertion of the Triune God.  Part and parcel to this affirmation is that Jesus is God incarnate.  He is not merely the best man to ever live, but He is God Himself in the flesh.  As this Advent season begins and Christmas becomes a soon-to-be reality, let us not forget this passage, but even more so, let us not forget what it means!

Matt. 22:37–Fundamentals

Matthew 22:37–"And He said to them, 'You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

This is one of my favorite verses.  In fact, it is one of those verse I would claim for my life, a foundational assertion from Jesus about how we are to relate to God.  This verse is without ambiguity, lacking any doubt or obscurity about the manner of life that God commands of us.  I think of this verse fundamentally, as in it encompasses everything we need to know and to do in regards to our relationship with God.  If we could keep this verse before us in every decision we make, we would go a long way.  According to this, our love for God is to encompass every little bit of who we are.  This is the commandment and this is our aim.  Let us put it before us always.

Matthew 5:11-12–Blessed are Those Who Are Persecuted For Christ

Matthew 5:11-12–"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

This verse has an interesting affect on Christians, as if persecution validates the Christian experience. Because of this, Christians sometimes seek out opportunities to become reviled for controversial viewpoints that may or may not have anything at all to do with Christ.  The truth is, though, that the Gospel of Christ is offensive; we don't need to add to or amend this message at all in order for us to be reviled for it.  In truth, actually, this verse is about being persecuted because of Christ, not because of us but because of who He is.  It is about being lights that shine His glory and letting His grace affect the world through us.  This is what this verse is about.  And it is what Christ is asking of us.

Matt. 6:19-20–Right Treasures

Matthew 6:19-20: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."

This passage comes in the middle of one of the greatest sermons of all time delivered by Jesus Himself on a hillside overlooking the sea of Galilee.  It speaks of differences in treasures and the vast contrast in value of these treasures.  In the most broad sense, there are two types of treasures: treasures eternal and treasures transient.  But in addition to outlining different treasures, Jesus also critiques them.  Jesus indicates that there is only one kind of treasure worthy of our attention, that is, eternal treasure.  Let us take this seriously and not waste our time, energy, and passion on treasures that will fail and fade away.