Peter — “…and going out, he wept bitterly.” Matt.26:75 Judas — “…and going out, he hung himself.” Matt 27:5 Consider the paralleled responses of these two men who both betrayed Jesus. What’s the difference? We aren’t given an in-depth look into either man’s mind or heart and so it is difficult to answer “why” […]
Matthew 26:75, 27:5 Read More »
Matthew 25:20, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.” What did the faithful servant do with the talents (an ancient measure for money, probably gold) that his Master had given him? How did he turn the five he received into five more? Was it shrewd investment? Was
Matthew 16:25, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” I’ve written a lot on this verse and on passages like it, but it is a truth that I easily forget and so need to be continually reminded of. Living to preserve,
Matthew 16:23, “Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling block for me, because you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.” What are the things of men, that Jesus refers to (which, notice, are simultaneously the things of Satan?) Well, what does Peter do
Matthew 15:30, “…they put them at His feet, and He healed them.” Matthew’s language in this section is almost a verbatim reproduction of Isaiah 35:5-6a where YHWH’s coming to His people brings about miraculous healing. And yet, in both Isaiah and here in Matthew, the sort of healing that is recounted—and especially the way
Matthew 14:28-29, “‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come.’ And after getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water and came to Jesus.” What Peter asks, what Jesus commands, and what Peter—therefore—does, is *not* primarily to walk on water, but *to
Matthew 10:28-30, “But fear rather the one who is able even soul and body to destroy in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear,
Matthew 8:17, “…He took our illnesses and bore our diseases. On the cross, Jesus bears the fullness of sin and its effects in the place of any and all who will hope in Him. This means not only that He bears His people’s sin and the hell it is due, but also that He
Matthew 4:16, “…and to the ones sitting in the region and shadow of death, on them light shone.” If Death is associated with “shadow,” then what can it mean that a light has shone into that shadow? When you shine light into a region of shadow, what happens? The shadow disappears. Shadow cannot exist
In Matthew 27:29, we see the Roman soldiers scoff at the claim that Jesus is the King of the Jews by placing a crown of thorns on his head and putting a reed in his hand as a mock scepter. However, their attempts to malign Christ are, for those with eyes to see, transfigured
Matthew 14:26-27, “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke the them, saying, ‘Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.’” The disciples see what they think is a restless spirit rising up
Matt 9:24-25, “‘…the girl is not dead, but sleeping’…He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.” Jesus does not merely turn back death in this text, He redefines death. When He says, “the girl is not dead, but sleeping,” He—as the Creative Word of God incarnate—names death anew. In
Matthew 2:16-17, “…He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” Jesus is our window into the Trinity. It is by and in Him alone that we know God as
Psalm 29:5,8,9-10, “The voice of YHWH breaks the cedars…The voice of YHWH shakes the wilderness…and in his temple, all cry, ‘Glory!’ YHWH sits enthroned as king forever.” . Matthew 27:50-51, “Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit….And the earth shook.” The voice of YHWH thunders with greatest majesty on
Psalm 25:5,8-10 + Matthew 27:50-51 Read More »
Matthew 10:33, “…whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father…” Matthew 26:74, “[Peter] began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, ‘I do not know the man.” In light of Matt 10:33, we would expect Peter’s denial of Jesus in 26:74 to have damned him…but the expectation-surpassing grace of
Matthew 10:33, 26:74 Read More »
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” – Matthew 6:22 In Matthew’s account, this
The Lamp of the Body Read More »
Matthew 26:39, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me…” Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me…” John 18:11, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has
Matthew 26:39 + Mark 14:36 + Luke 22:42 + John 18:11 Read More »
There is no God like YHWH, and He declares that with definitive finality when He descends into the deepest trenches of our suffering through the cross of Christ. In the freedom of His sovereign love, our Lord and our God penetrates to the heart of hopelessness and bears the full horror of His Bride’s godforsakenness
God With Us – An Animation Read More »
Matthew 27:37, “…over His head they put the charge against Him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Revelation 22:3, “…the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it…” “…the throne of God and of the Lamb”…..so much could be said about that…but for now, let me confine
Matthew 27:37 + Revelation 22:3 Read More »
Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” This is a sweet and well-loved phrase. It is sort of a poetic restatement of Matthew 5:4, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” What is the blessedness
Matthew 5:4 + Revelation 21:4 Read More »
