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
“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
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Matthew 6:34, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow…” The heart of Sovereign Love revealed at the cross is the same that authors all our days…let us receive them, read them, and endure them in hope, knowing that–because our God is risen–the ending is joy beyond imagination. I am often tempted to be eaten
Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (תורה) and the Prophets (נביאים); I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Isaiah 13:13, “…the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of His fierce anger.” Matthew 27:50-51, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit…And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” If you are
Isaiah 13:13 + Matthew 27:50-51 Read More »
Matthew 18:33, “And should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I have mercy on you?” If we’ve truly received the debt-forgiving mercy of our crucified and risen Master, we cannot remain merciless toward debtors in our lives…
Matthew 1:21, “…and you shall call His name Jesus [which means, “YHWH Saves”], for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 28:18-19, “ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” The universal authority of the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ is the ground of missions and to see hearts and minds joyfully submitted to His Sovereign Beauty is the goal.
Psalm 114:7-8, “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turns the rock into a pool of water…” Matthew 27:51, “And the earth shook, and the rocks were split”
Psalm 114:7-8 + Matthew 27:51 Read More »
