Matthew 5:21-26 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part IV)

Murder
Jesus now demonstrates how “observing” the law is not fulfilling it, because of the attitude of the heart. His first example is murder. (v21) He points out that if you have even hate in your heart for someone, then you are just as guilty as the murder. It is not the action but the attitude of the heart that is judged. (v22) In verse 23 and 24 addresses that if you have contention and animosity between yourself and a brother (or sister) then you need to make amends before coming to the Lord in worship. The Lord wants your whole heart in worship and to come before him while you are out of favor with a brother, is not giving him what he is due. You need to make things right, and be a sower of peace. The only thing that I will assume from this verse is that the person is a Christian brother (or sister) and not just anyone. Christ further advocates settling civil disputes before finally taken to authorities where the punishment and reparations might be steeper than a humble settlement to a brother (v 25 and 26).

Christ shows us that hate is just as powerful as murder and that to make amends with a brother who has been wronged is not only important to our worship but to also ease the burden of our recompense.

Matthew 5:17-20 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part III)

In this section of the sermon, Christ talks about the Law (the Old Testament). He informs us that he did not come to get rid of the law, but to fulfill them. (v17) The Law and Christ are inseparable! Christ has come to do what we cannot on our own, fulfill God's commandments for us. Not only the "big ten" that we know today, but also Jewish ceremonial law and observances. He did not just follow the rules in an external way, but in a deep understanding and total commitment. He also knows the temptation (see the previous post on the Temptation of Jesus) but he was able to live a perfect life for us. His perfection has been given to us by his sacrifice! Since we cannot, on our own, observe God's Law... we must put our faith in Jesus' perfection and sacrifice as an atonement. The Law leads us to Christ. It's not something that if we work hard enough, we will "earn" God's favor, for who can possibly do enough good to cancel out even the "smallest" sin. Who would honestly have enough confidence in their own behavior to be confident of God's favor. That is why my confidence is in the Lord.

Christ does warn us to heed the Law in verse 18, that it will never go away until the end of time when all has been accomplished. He also issues a warning to those who would lead other astray, teaching falsehood would find themselves the least in Heaven. (v19) He also promises those that teach the truth and proclaim it will be called great in the same verse.

I'd like to point out that if a "christian" is out trying to "win souls for God" to be great in Heaven, should read this verse and take it to heart. Preaching the truth to others is something God does through you, not you doing it yourself. I cannot claim any truth to come from me, but from my Father in heaven through me. Watch out if you think you're the one doing the work and should be called "great" for it. A very dangerous thought!

Verse 20 might lead some to think that being a Christian and "getting to Heaven" is about being perfect. I know I'm far from it... that is why I look to Christ for my righteousness. It is only through Christ that we can have "righteousness [that] surpasses that of the Pharisees"

Lean on Christ for your perfection and trust completely in him!

Matthew 5:13-16 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part II)

Salt and Light
Christ continues from the previous verse with what our role is in the world. We, as Christians are the salt of the earth. (v13) This notion always confused me as a kid. We make the world salty... how is that good. In our day and age, salt is a kind of evil, leading to health problems. Back then, it made what little flavor food had come alive. It took the bland and made it enjoyable. This is what Christians should do. In a drab, selfish world, we should be the joy, the spice, that extra zip in our communities. We need to a little "kick" to the world around us, because of what Christ has done in our lives and promises to everyone. He also warns in verse 13 that if the salt becomes unsalty, what use is it? What use is a Christian who doesn't live in the joy of salvation. Why become what the world is (drab and bland) when we have Christ!

Verse 14 gives us another analogy, we are light to the world and a city on a hill. The light and the city casts its light far and wide, for everyone to see. In verse 15 we are given a further analogy. No one hides the lamp they light, but put it as high as possible for light to be spread everywhere. When we have Christ, it should not be a secret, something we keep to ourselves. Having Christ but not sharing it, defeats the purpose. Why keep joy and peace from others... share the good news, that Jesus has saved sinners by his death on the cross. When you live in Christ, others will notice, and God will be glorified by it. Here was someone who is a sinner, but has joy and hope becuase of what God has done. Our good deeds are not to glorify ourselves, give us brownie points, or ease our guilty conscious. (v16) Doing good is only to glorify God and worship him in hopes that others will be called by the Holy Spirit to faith.

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part I)

The Beatitudes
Seeing the crowd in verse 1, Jesus went up a nearby mountain and began his famous Sermon on the Mount. It is not sure this is a combination of sermons/messages like they are found scattered through Luke, instead of in one instance like here in Matthew. To me it would make sense for both, that he preached one long sermon here and then repeated his message through out his ministry. He starts in verse 2, teaching the The Beatitudes, a declaration of blessedness. Christ comes with blessing and starts here, first and foremost.

"Blessed" is more than just happy, but an ultimate joy and well-being of being with God, not dependent on earthly influences. The first Beatitude is "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (v3) Spiritually poor in the sense of humility and needing Christ, not in the sense of lacking a spirit or a deficient spirit. Those who see themselves as being good enough and doing enough to gain God's favor are proud in spirit, not poor. The Kingdom is not a reward, but a freely given gift.

Next is verse 4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" This is a strange "blessing". It could be simply be stated in another way "Happy are those who are sad". This blessing is in the fact that a fallen, sinful world is full of pain and suffering; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. But those who trust in the Lord will be comforted... both now and in eternity by a loving God and Christian brotherhood. This a blessing! That no matter what happens, we have a God who will comfort us through brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Verse 5 contains perhaps the most famous Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" This a very manipulated and misquoted verse. We see in the Beatitudes a relationship with the Lord, our God. The meekness here is similar to the poverty of spirit in the first Beatitude. We are to be meek in our relationship to God. This verse is also related to Psalm 37:11, "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace"

Then, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (v6) God promises to those who desire his Truth that their desire will be given to them. If we desire God's righteousness and seek it diligently through faith, it will be given to us.

In verse 7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" Those who love God and show this love in their actions toward others will be also shown love by God. Pretty straight-forward in my opinion! Mercy tends to beget mercy... it's like a happy virus. People who have been show love and forgiveness tend to pass it along.

Next in verse 8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" It is only those who are pure in their core; mind, will and emotions that will be saved. Luckily, Christ has given us this heart in his sacrifice on the cross, so that we have a heart pure and accepting to God.

Verse 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God" Again this can be misconstrue to fit some social convention and political ideology. I did some research on this and came across some interesting information. Most of us know that in Hebrew (both today and in Christ's time) the greeting is "Shalom" or peace. This idea of peace was not a political one, but between relationships of family, God, and community. To use a crass comparison, it is the lack of "drama". So blessed are those who aren't drama-queens in other words!

Finally "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (v10) We should never back down from the righteousness of God, for his wisdom and knowledge is far greater than man. If men choose to discriminate against us, harm us, or try to keep us from witnessing and preaching Christ crucified; we should not fight against them, but rejoice. This is something that a fallen world will do, and Satan will use every force against God's chosen. Faith that falls in the face of adversity is not faith at all, but just going with the flow.

Christ reiterates the idea of rejoicing in trial and persecution in verses 11 and 12. I wouldn't be surprised if President Bush has verse 11 hanging up somewhere in the Oval Office. We should rejoice when the "world" says we are stupid, foolish, mistaken and just wrong for trusting in God. The followers of the devil have been saying these things for millennia and will continue until the last second of this world.

Matthew 4:18-25

Picking up from the previous post, Jesus has started his ministry in the first part of Matthew 4, and now needs help with it. In v.18 he is walking along the Sea of Galilee and calls to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew while they are fishing. He says to them that He will "make them fishers of men" These fisherman's roots have significance into Christian symbolism, such as the much mocked and parodied Christian Fish. It was used to identify a fellow Christian by drawing an arc on the ground. If the other fellow formed a fish with his own arc, they could be considered a fellow Christian. Verse 20 mentions that they leave immediately with Christ. It appears that they just left their boat and nets where they were. This scenario repeats itself in verses 21 and 22 with the sons of Zebedee, James and John.

Matthew then describes the beginnings of Christ's ministry in Galilee; preaching, teaching and healing (v23). Of course news about his message (but even more his healing power) spread all around in verse 24 and people came with all kinds of illness and possession. The chapter ends in verse 25 with a large, diverse group from many cities and regions following Jesus.

Matthew 4:1-17

The Temptation of Jesus and the Beginning of his Ministry
Shortly after his Baptism, the Spirit led Christ into the desert, so that Satan would tempt him. (v 1) Of course this was not a touch-and-go situation for God and his Son. The outcome was already determined. It was not as if God would send some “other son” to come down if Jesus failed. Personally, I doubt if Satan really knew with whom he was dealing with.

After not eating for 40 days and nights, Jesus was incredibly hungry and weak. (v 2) Satan thought he saw his chance to take advantage of the situation. He tempts Jesus into using his power to produce food for himself from the stones in the desert. (v 3) This might not seem on the surface as sinful, but if you think about it, his fasting was for God. He could have easily gone back into a city or town and received food. But Jesus was there out of religious devotion to his Father. To eat would go against his meditation and dedication to God, and clearly sin. This is why he responds in verse 4 with a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Our ties and devotion to God should be higher and stronger than any other calling, even eating if it would be against him. We need God more than even food! Christ knew that he would be eating soon enough, and that God would see him through.

The Devil, being thwarted by Jesus, tries a new tactic. He took Jesus to the “holy city” (I’m not sure if this is Jerusalem or perhaps a ruin of a holy site) and to the very top of the temple there, a building of considerable size (v 5). In verse 6, thinking he can fight fire with fire, he requests that Jesus throw himself off the building because it is written in Psalm 91:11, 12 that “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” But Jesus knew better than to take this verse out of context and replies in verse 7 quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” This temptation we can see more clearly as sin. God is not a tool we control and dictate terms to. We don’t go jumping off buildings or act recklessly knowing that God will come to our rescue. God is not a seat belt, but God himself. To put yourself above him is clearly sinful. Jesus knew that he didn’t need to test God to know that he was protected from the elements and danger. God is control of everything!

Still determined to find Jesus’ weak spot, Satan throws all his chips in. He takes Jesus to a high mountain (I’m not sure if this is meant to be an actual mountain, or even as far as space itself!) where they view “all the kingdoms in the world” (v 8). Satan is willing to give up his paltry power on earth to Jesus if he would just worship him (v 9). This shows Satan’s desperation and self-disillusionment. He was willing to give up everything to win this one battle, but he didn’t realize that God already had all these kingdoms, and that everything in the universe was his. Satan had no ownership of any of it. Jesus knew this as well, and dealt the final blow in this conflict. In verse 10, Jesus rebukes Satan’s arrogance and orders him away with a quote from Deuteronomy 6:13, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Why do we worship him only? Because he has created, saved, and loves us! God “owns” everything including us, and because of his omnipotence and love he should be worshiped and served.

Satan, utterly rebuked, leaves Jesus and we see that God does take care of his people, including his Son, as the angels attend to him. By doing so, God negates each one of Satan’s temptations. Jesus is fed, the angels are commanded to protect him (v 11), and God alone is glorified, still in complete control and authority over all. What I see from these passages is not only the strength and power of the Son of God, but how completely clueless Satan is!

Tested by Satan and found true (of course, was there doubt?) Jesus begins to preach. We find in verse 12 that John the Baptist has been in imprisoned, so the Lord returns to Galilee. After spending time in Nazareth, he went to Capernaum, by the lake in an area of Zebulun and Naphtali,(Northwest of the Sea of Galilee) to full fill what Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:1,2.

Jesus’ first message recorded in Matthew is “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (v 17). Much like John’s message, however this is the “real deal” where as John was preparing and acclimating the people to the idea of repentance and the Kingdom. We can do well to still heed our Lord’s words. For if the Kingdom were so close and important that Jesus started with this message, how much closer is it to us today? We need repentance and our Lord’s grace more than ever.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way and the Baptism of Jesus
We now jump forward several years, to John the Baptist in the desert (v 1) who preached repentance due to the coming of Christ (v 2). John was a primer to Jesus. His radical message help soften the ground for Jesus’ ministry. Again, in verse 3, Isaiah’s prophesy in Isaiah 40:3 is fulfilled in John.

This man was not a mighty or wealthy figure in Jewish society. He wore very basic clothing and ate what he could from the land. (v 4) His life was dedicated to preaching the coming Christ. Everything else was not important. God was his portion and strength.

This message appealed to the people (v. 6). They came from everywhere in Judea to hear his message. The people were yearning for the good news of Christ, and the Holy Spirit led them to this “wild man” in the desert. They would confess their sins and be baptized by John in the Jordan. (v 6)

John also caught the attention of some of the Jewish elite. These people were known for their hypocrisy and legalistic lifestyles. John warns them, in verse 7 though 9, that even though they are the children of Abraham, it is not enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He warns that God judgment is at hand for those who do not bear the fruits of faith in the coming Christ (v 10). He declares the power and strength of Christ, and his own humility (…whose sandals I’m not fit to carry) in verse 11. We too are not fit even to carry Christ’s most “dirty” item, but yet are saved and given the status of God’s children as well. Baptism into Christ is by the Holy Spirit and refines like fire, John says. He will clean the world of those who do not follow him, utterly destroying them “like chaff”, and gather those that he has called (v 12)

In verse 13 we move forward again to the arrival of Jesus to the banks of the Jordan and pinnacle moment in John’s ministry. Jesus comes to be baptized and officially enter into his work in the world. John is clearly shocked at such a thing; for John knows that it should be Jesus who should baptize him, not visa versa. (v 14). However, Christ knows that to “fulfill all righteousness” he must be baptized. Christ came to fulfill all parts of the Law for us, including this baptism, so that he would be found completely lacking in any sin. John comes to understand this (at least to some degree) and is lead by the Holy Spirit to consent to Jesus’ baptism. (v 15) In verse 16, we see a wondrous sight, as Jesus rises out of the Jordan River: heaven opens and the Holy Spirit “like a dove and lighting” on him. God then proclaims in a voice that Jesus is truly his Son, that he loves him and that he is pleased with him. (v 17) This verse in the bible is hard to refute for those who believe that Jesus was only a wise man, a prophet, or religious philosopher. How can anyone say that he is none other than the Son of God if God himself has declared it so? Jesus work was greater than just ideology or philosophy; it was for the salvation of a fallen race.

Matthew 2

Wise Men and the Birth of Christ, Fleeing to Egypt, and the Return
Here we are introduced to the wise men from the east. From where they came, how many, and who exactly they were is not made clear in this passage. Tradition as put them as three Seers from anywhere from current day Iraq to as far as the Western India. All of this speculation, of course, and not essential to understanding their purpose, that God had revealed to these men that a great King had been born. They found their spot, and in verse 1 they seek the current king to inquire whom this Child-King might be (v2). God had used His created universe to show them that this had come to pass. He also revealed that this King was greater than all other kings, because they traveled a great distance to worship one so great. Such a revelation to Gentiles also starts the theme that God’s promised savior was not the Jews alone, but now to the whole entire world.

The current “king” of the Jews, Herod, becomes troubled (v 3), because this all comes as a surprise to him, and to all of Jerusalem. The appearance of these strange men from so far, and their message, would be a strange event indeed. The Jews had such a troubled past, and with current occupation of Rome, another new King would bring uncertainty and fear. Out of Herod’s paranoia and fear, he gathers all the priests and scribes to discover what they might now of the exact location of the Christ’s birth (v 4). Their reply was Bethlehem (v 5), because of Micah’s prophesy (Micah 5:2) quoted in verse 6. Prophesy number 2 fulfilled. Herod is now in full-blown espionage mode. He wants to know how long the star has been shining over Bethlehem, and when it first appeared (v 7). Needing more information about this “usurper”, Herod shrewdly asks the wise men to earnestly search for this King, and bring him word of Him, so that he might worship him too (v 8). Yeah, right… Herod was a power thirsty, ruthless man, and had no interest in worshiping the Christ, but to eliminate him. As soon as Christ was born, Satan and his minions have their target on Jesus, to rid him of as quickly as possible and the threat of his power.

The wise men left Jerusalem, followed the star to where it stopped (assuming that means it was overhead, finally), and rejoiced when they found the spot (v 9, 10). Wouldn’t you if you had walked or rode a camel for thousands of miles, mostly at night? Verse 11 tells of their reaction to the child and his mother, Mary. They bow down, worship him, and present him with very expensive gifts. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh are not cheap items at this point in history. Gold still isn’t today! Again, God reveals Jesus’ true nature by way of these foreign, Gentile men. The three gifts are commonly why we fall into the idea that there were three wise men. It’s interesting to note, the passage mentions nothing about Joseph.

To protect his son, God informs the wise men to tell Herod nothing, and to go back to their home via a different route (v12).

In verse 13 Joseph has a dream where an angel informs him of Herod’s true intentions: to kill the baby Jesus. To protect him from Herod, the family must move far out his reach, to Egypt. Verse 14 seems to indicate, once again, that Joseph wastes no time in following God’s command. He takes his family that night (or in the night in NKJ) to Egypt. It makes sense; you don’t want to see the soldiers coming down the road for your child and then wait to follow God’s orders. They stayed in Egypt until Herod died, as to make sure that he would not harm Jesus in verse 15. Here, the OT prophesy in Hosea 11:1 was fulfilled. Going back now, Herod becomes furious when the wise men do not return with news about the Christ. (v 16). So what’s his conclusion? Kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem. Truly an evil and sadistic man, but this too was prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15). A terrible thing to happen, but it was to protect the Christ child. These small children were martyred so that all mankind might know of a savior. God’s plan always has a reason and purpose for ultimate good.

In verse 19 and 20, Joseph receives yet another dream from God in the form of an angel, informing him of Herod’s death. Now the family can safely return home. Once again, this seems to be an immediate action (v 21). Oh, to have that kind of faith and obedience to God! We could all learn a thing or two from this man. The trials of this family are not entirely over, because in verse 22, Herod’s son, Archelaus takes his father’s place. With Herod as a role-model for leadership, you can understand Joseph’s apprehension about returning. God also speaks to Joseph in a dream to direct him to Galilee. In verse 23 another prophesy is fulfilled when the family settles in Nazareth.

Matthew 1

Christ’s Genealogy and Back-story
The first half of Matthew 1 (1:1-16) concerns the linage of Christ, so that the prophecy about Abraham’s Line producing the Savior of the world would be proved true. Other Jewish “fathers” and notables are seen here; Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Boaz, Ruth, Jessie, David, Solomon, etc. Jesus’ linage almost reads as a who’s who of the bible.

St. Matthew makes note in v.17 that there are 14 generations between Abraham to David, 14 from David until the Babylonian Exile, and 14 from the Exile to Christ birth. I don’t have much interest in numerology, but there is a logic and timing to God’s plan for his people.
In verse 18 we are told the nature of Jesus’ conception. Before coming together with her husband, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Only God himself could make such a miraculous thing happen.

Now we get a glimpse at the character of Joseph, husband of Mary. How would one feel if they discovered the woman that they were to marry was pregnant? Most would probably go off in and rage and tell everyone what kind of promiscuous woman she was. What was Joseph’s reaction? He was calm, and to still wished to honor Mary with a quiet divorce (v19). Here we see that Joseph was a caring and kind man, who was slow to anger and not one to be spiteful. Obviously this kind of strong, manly leadership was where God wanted his son to be raised.
Joseph gets filled in on what was really happening, and the glorious news of whose child Mary was carrying in verse 20 and 21. Joseph was still thinking about what to do with Mary, not being hasty, and probably praying to the Lord about what to do. God directed him as to what to name the child, which Joseph followed obediently.

Here we have the first direction connection between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment. Verse 23 quotes Isaiah 7:14, and is one verse, out of many, identifying Jesus as the promised Christ.

Joseph doesn’t wait to mull over what he’s told, he rises up from sleep and does what the Lord says. He probably informs Mary that he will marry her and what he was told by the angel.

Chapter 1 ends with information concerning Joseph and Mary’s sex life. Of course, according to Jewish tradition (and ours today) one wouldn’t consider a non-sexual relationship to be marriage, so it wasn’t until Jesus was born could Joseph and Mary actually consummate their marriage.

Welcome to Daily Bible Blog!

Hello! and welcome to my daily bible blog. In an inspired idea (literally came to me in church), to find an interesting and fun way to get into the Word daily, I decided to create this blog. I am not officially trained in ministry nor do I consider myself a biblical scholar. If anything, I'm still just a babe in faith and understanding of the amazing Message. My original purpose is to post some comment on the first portion of Matthew and start with the rest of the New testament. I will be using the NIV (New International Version) which some might have issues with. I find it the easiest to comprehend. However, I *always* appreciate specific examples and comparisons with other translations. Anything that provides insight into the precious message of God! Please feel free to comment on each post, your input is a big reason why I chose this format. However, this blog is specifically for those who profess and believe that Christ is Lord, the Savior for a sinful and fallen race, a real person and a real God, and any comment that disrespects this faith will be blocked, deleted and/or altered. Thanks for your participation!