Matthew 8 & 9- Jesus' Miracles

 

Matthew 8 & 9 – Jesus’ Miracles

 

Matthew assembled several of our Lord’s miracles and recorded them as proof that Jesus is the promised Messiah (I Cor. 1:22). Some helpful lessons are evident in these miracles.

 

Jesus did not minister only to crowds; He had time for individuals. He had compassion for people shunned by others. Peter and John had this same spirit: they ministered to thousands (Acts 2) and took time for one beggar (Acts 3).

 

Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Jer. 32:17). He can heal the sick and afflicted, calm the storm, cast out demons, and even raise the dead.

 

The centurion had great faith while the disciples were guilty of little faith. The men who brought their friend exercised cooperative faith, while the sick woman had almost superstitious faith. Christ asks you the same question He asked the two blind men: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” 

 

The healing of the sick is a great miracle, and the raising of the dead an even greater one; but the salvation of the lost soul is the greatest miracle of all.  Jesus is the Great Physician who came to heal sinners, The Bridegroom who invites sinners to the wedding feast, and the Good Shepherd who has compassion on the struggling sheep.

 

Peter opened his home and Jesus healed many there, and Matthew used his home to introduce his friends to Jesus. The blind men who were healed spread the news about Jesus to the whole country. Jesus is seeking disciples and harvesters to help Him get the job done.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

 

Matthew7 - Judging Others

 

Matthew 7 - Judging Others

 

One of the easiest ways to cover our sins is to judge others. It is not wrong to exercise discernment, but we must start with ourselves. Often we are guilty of the sins we think we see in others (Rom. 2:1-3). We need prayer and love if we are to perform successful “eye surgery” on our brothers and sisters. We must treat them the way we want them to treat us. Christians should never judge by appearances or in a manner by which they themselves would not want to be judged.

Jesus commands His followers to Ask, Seek, and knock then you will receive, find, and have the door opened to you. God answers prayer (Mark 11:24); (Luke 18:1-8).

 

The gate into real life is narrow, and the way is difficult, so don’t try to carry a lot of excess baggage. False teachers make the way easy and popular; if you truly follow Jesus, you pay a price, and the way sometimes becomes lonely. The less chosen gate following Christ leads to life.

 

Life produces fruit, and good trees produce good fruit. There was a great deal of profession in the lives of the scribes and Pharisees, but not evidence of spiritual fruit. Believers glorify God and identify themselves with Him by producing spiritual fruit, which includes good works and steadfast character. Where there is no spiritual fruit, there is no spiritual faith.

 

To “build on the rock” means to obey the Word of God. Saying is not enough; there must be doing (James 1:22-25). If you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, expect to have your profession tested in this life and the next. Fair-weather faith will not pass the test. Someday, every person will stand before God in judgment, and the reality of every person’s relationship with Jesus Christ will be revealed (Heb 4:13). Without a person relationship with Christ, religious words and ways, such as attending church, filling positions of church leadership, and performing good works, have no value.

 

 Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better. If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

Matthew 6 - Do Good to Please God

 

Matthew 6 – Do Good to Please God

 

We should give only to please God and receive His praise. If we give to win the praise of others, or to be able to complement ourselves, we get the immediate reward/praise, but we lose the eternal reward. We cannot get our reward twice, so we must decide which one we want. To give and do charitable deeds in secret reflects a person’s desire to please God more than people. God blesses those who honor Him.

 

Our public praying is only as good as our private praying, and our private praying should be secret, sincere, and systematic. The Lord’s Prayer is a pattern for us to follow so that we will put God’s concerns first and not forget to forgive others. Jesus condemns prayers that are self-serving. When we read from a written prayer we must make sure it springs from the heart.

 

We need things to live, and God provides those things for us; but acquiring things must not be the main goal of life. You are living for things when they capture your heart, divide your mind, and control your will; and the result is worry. The solution is to put God first and start living with eternity’s values in view.

 

Humans universally depend on God for His provision of food, health and even breath. Asking God for daily bread acknowledges one’s complete dependence on Him (Psalm 104:27-29).

 

People’s relationships with the Lord cannot be made right until their relationships with others are made right. Relational forgiveness should be sought again and again. (I John 1:5-10).

 

Worry means to divide, tear, rip apart; to pull in opposite directions. So, to be anxious is to be torn apart by circumstances. On the other hand, concern is a legitimate emotion, helping God’s people focus on real problems and providing enough spiritual energy to respond with godly solutions. (Ps. 55:22; Luke 12:22; Phil. 4:6).

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

Matthew 5 - We are the Salt of the Earth

 

Matthew 5 – We Are The Salt of the Earth

 

We enter the kingdom through the new birth (John 3:1-16), but we enjoy the kingdom by living for those things that please God the most. The worldly believers would disagree with Christ’s description of a blessed, happy person, but the description is true just the same. God majors on character and so should we.

 

Tasteless salt and hidden light are good for nothing! Salt arrests decay in our world, and light banishes darkness. Salt is hidden, but light is visible. Both are needed in the world, and both must give of themselves to serve.

 

If you bring anger to the altar, you cannot worship God, so get rid of the anger quickly. Angry feelings lead to angry words and deeds, and the result could be murder. (Eph. 4:25-32).

 

Obviously Jesus is not suggesting literal surgery, for the real problem is in the heart. This is a vivid reminder that sin is terrible, and we are better off “maimed” than whole and going to hell. 

 

We must measure ourselves not by others but by the father. This includes our words, our responses to injuries, and our dealings with our enemies.

 

Jesus opened the sermon on the mount with a description of a truly righteous person. Then He defined what sin is and what real righteousness is in the areas of worship and wealth. He concluded with warnings against making hypocritical judgments, following false prophets, and failing to obey God’s will.

 

The demands of the Sermon on the Mount are much more difficult than those found in the law of Moses. Only the true believer in Jesus Christ can put the Sermon on the Mount into practice. (Rom. 8:1-4).

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. J Vernon McGee Thru the Bible

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

 

Matthew 4 - Satan Tempts Jesus

 

Matthew 4- Satan Tempts Jesus

 

Our Lord was not tempted so that God could examine Him, for the Father had already approved Him. He was tempted for our sake, that He might personally know temptation and be able to help us when we are tempted (Heb. 2:17-18). He overcame the devil by using the same weapons available to us today: The Word of God, the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:1), and prayer (Luke 3:21; I Cor. 10:13).

 

Having defeated “the strong man,” Jesus now invaded his house and began to spoil his goods. He both obeyed the Word (Isa. 9:1-2) and preached it, calling men to become His disciples. Everyone must decide whether to follow Christ or make bargains with the devil.

 

Our Lord’s main ministry was teaching and preaching, but His compassion moved Him to minister to the physical needs of the people. How tragic that most of the people who followed Him wanted His services but not His Salvation, the gifts but not the Giver; and these people are with us today.

 

After His baptism, Jesus began to preach John’s message: Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Even though His ministry began in Galilee, His work soon attracted attention among the Gentiles from Decapolis and beyond the Jordan (Mark 3:7-12). Although Jesus clearly is the Jewish Messiah, His kingdom already reaches beyond the Jews.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

Matthew 3 - The Model Preacher

 

Matthew 3 – The Model Preacher

 

John the Baptist was a road builder who paved the way for the Lord (Isa. 40:3), and an axman who got to the root of sin and exposed it. He was not intimidated by people, nor was he afraid to preach about judgment. He was obedient to his Lord and magnified Him in all things (John3:30).

 

Some people heard God’s Word and confessed their sins, while others heard it and covered their sins (Prov. 28:13). The first group became children of God, but the second group were children of Satan. (John 8:44).

 

Jesus is the Son of God. The scriptures, John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit, and the Father attested to that truth.

 

John preached two truths, that people should repent; and the kingdom of heaven was about to arrive with the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, the true King of Israel. He was known as the “One crying in the wilderness” while the Lord is Jesus Christ.

 

John’s baptism was not only a baptism of repentance but also preparation for the Messiah, the One who would wash people of their sins through His shed blood.

 

Because the Pharisees and Sadducees detested each other’s teaching, they did not normally attend functions together. Instead, they sent investigators to observe John’s works and hear his teachings, John rebuked them for their pride and gross misuse of authority.

 

When Jesus said that His baptism would fulfill all righteousness, He declares that through His death, burial, and resurrection, He would fully satisfy all the requirements of a holy God, thereby enabling sinful man to be reconciled to God.

 

The baptism of Jesus involved all three members of the Trinity. God spoke the words: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. The voice from heaven was heard by witnesses, it was not imagined.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible.

 

Matthew 2 - Response to Christ' Birth

 

Matthew 2 -Response to Christ’ Birth

 

Creation responded by putting a miraculous star in the heavens to tell the world a King had been born (Num.24:17).

 

The Gentiles worshipped Him and brought gifts. Matthew shows early in his book that Jesus came to save Gentiles as well as the Jews. The wise men studied the heavens, and the star led them to the scriptures, and the scriptures led them to the Savior.

 

Herod responded with fear and deception. He wanted no new King to threaten his reign. By the time of his death, he had murdered his wife and at least two of his sons to protect his throne. When Herod felt troubled the entire city was troubled.

 

The Chief priests and scribes gave the right information but the wrong response. They were only a short distance from the Messiah, yet they refused to go see Him!

 

In Micah 5:2, two names are given for the village where the Messiah would be born: Bethlehem which means the “house of bread,” and Ephrathah which means “to be fruitful.” Into a hungry and thirsty world came the Bread of Life, who teaches human beings to have a fruitful life. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).

 

For the second time, God spoke to Joseph in a dream. As instructed Joseph fled with his family to Egypt, outside of Herod’s control.

 

Rachel, who was buried in Bethlehem, is pictured as weeping from her grave as Herod’s edict to kill the male children was carried out. She also wept for her children when they were carried into captivity by the Babylonians. (Jer. 31:15).

 

Later, Joseph moved his family to the safety of the region of Galilee. Nazareth where Jesus would grow up, was a place “despised and rejected” (John 1:46).

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans for You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com. Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. Through the Bible by J. Vernon McGee.