The light of the world …

Jesus tells us that he is “the light of the world” (John 8:12). He also tells us that we “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). We are to let our light shine (Matthew 5:15). This is the way of bringing glory to God (Matthew 5:16). If we are to shine for Jesus,his light …

We need more than Jesus the Teacher …

We need more than Jesus the Teacher. We need Jesus the Saviour. We read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), and we find ourselves thinking, "This is too much for me. I cannot possibly live up to this." When we think a bit more about this, we start to feel, "This is bad news. It shows us …

How did Jesus come to his baptism? Did he come as a sinner in need of salvation? No. He came as the Saviour who brings salvation to sinners.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then John consented" (Matthew 3:13-15). "Therefore, …

I will build my church.

"I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). It is Christ who speaks these words. This is important. When we put the emphasis on ourselves, we're setting ourselves up for a great fall. The truth about everyone of us is this: the gates of hell do prevail …

Strengthened by God’s Spirit and God’s Word, let us take our stand against the devil.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil...  “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’"(Matthew 4:1,4). Things weren't looking so good. Jesus was in the wilderness. He was tempted by the devil. In the …

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God ny Saviour!

Job 40:3-42:17; Matthew 25:14-46; Psalm 18:43-50 “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first” (Job 42:12). “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance” (Matthew 25:29). Both of these statements occur withn the context of the call to be faithful to God. This faithfulness …

Receiving power from the Lord

Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray... alone (Matthew 14:23). Jesus spent so much of his life among people, bringing so much blessing to so many people. There were, also, times when he was "alone" with God, his heavenly Father. The time that Jesus spent "alone" with God was so important. This is where …

There is more than the religion of the Pharisees. There is salvation, and, for this, we must be truly tankful.

Jesus said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old" (Matthew 13:52). When teachers of the law become disciples of Jesus, there is a definite change …

Jesus speaks to us. We listen to him.

I will open my mouth in parables (Matthew 13:35). Whoever has ears, let him hear (Matthew 13:43). Jesus speaks to us. We listen to him. Before we can speak for Jesus, we must listen to him. The words that we speak do not come from our own minds. They come to us from the Lord. …

How great a blessing we are when Christ comes to us and draws us to himself.

Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear (Matthew 13:16). It's a great blessing to come to faith in Jesus Christ. When we think of our journey to faith in Christ, we should think of it as revelation rather than discovery. We have not discovered Christ. He has revealed himself …

Who Are We To Say, “This Is Important – And That Isn’t”?

We're called to be "salt for the earth" and "light for the world" (Matthew 5:13-14). How can we be "salt" and "light" in a world that has turned its back on the things that matter most in life? Can we do this by "setting aside Moses' teaching or the Prophets" (Matthew 5:17)? No! Jesus says, …

Jesus comes to us in love, and his love for us creates in us a desire to love him.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). What is it that leads us to the place where we make a positive response to Jesus' invitation to "come" to him? When we look for an answer to this question, we need to look back from …

The words that we speak for God are more than our words. They are words that are grounded in the Word of God.

Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me (Matthew 10:40). In these words of Jesus, we read about God, our heavenly Father, we read about Jesus Christ , our Saviour, and we read about those who bring the Word of God and the gospel of Christ …

The Word of the Lord speaks to us for the strengthening of our faith and the empowering of our witness.

What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs (Matthew 10:27). The Word of the Lord speaks to our hearts. It gives us the strength that we need to speak to others of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to receive God's Word with joy. We are to speak God's Word with …

When we see people who are “like sheep without a shepherd”, may we learn to love them with the love of Jesus.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Freely you have received; freely give (Mattew 10:8). As I was reading the words, "harassed and helpless," I found myself thinking of the words of the Beatles' song, "Help!": "Help! I need …

Being ready to help someone to become a follower of Jesus

"Follow me," Jesus told Matthew, and Matthew got up and followed him" (Matthew 9:9). Matthew's reponse to Jesus was immediate. It doesn't always work that way. Some people take a long time to make up their minds about Jesus, They get there in the end, but they do not get up and follow Jesus, the …

Does Jesus still speak to us in a place that is deep in our hearts?

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24). Jesus spoke words of wisdom. He still speaks words of wisdom. We are wise if we listen to Jesus and follow him. There is a wise way to live …

Words of wisdom, reaching down through the centuries

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). These are the words of Jesus. They are words of wisdom. We read Jesus' words, and we may say to ourselves, "Life was so much more simple back then, when Jesus spoke these words." …

Speaking the Word of God with boldness

You have heard that it was said... but I say to you (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32,33-34, 38-39, 43-44). If we are to follow Jesus, in teaching God's Word, we will need to speak words of reproof and correction (2 Timothy 3:16). In the ministry of reproof, we will need to say, "This is not what …

Shine, Jesus, shine. Shine on me, and shine out, through me, to others.

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). What is the light that we are to let shine? Is it our own light, or is it the light of Jesus? When we speak about ourselves, we must confess that our lives are, always, …

We’re on a journey with God, for God and to God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8). We're not "pure in heart." We're sinners. We cannot escape the fact that we are sinners. How, then, can we be blessed by God? By the grace of God, we're on a journey. It's a journey that begins with God's grace. On …

Receiving the love of Jesus and sharing his love with others

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them (Matthew 5:1-2). As disciples of Jesus, we are called to listen to what he has to say to us, and we are called to share his message with the …

Following Jesus, and confessing him as our Saviour and Lord

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him (Matthew 4:19-20). Jesus calls us to follow him. What will it mean, for us, to follow Jesus? Are we to become secret disciples? No! That is not the way in which …

Through faith in Jesus, we become God’s children and we receive God’s Spirit.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16-17). …

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday (25): In the resurrection of Christ, we see love, eternal love, the love of Christ.

We've reached the final stage of our journey from Good Friday to Easter Sunday: In the resurrection of Christ, we see love, eternal love, the love of God. Matthew 28:1-10 After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a violent earthquake; …

A House Of Prayer, A Life Of Prayer

"a house of prayer" (Matthew 21:13) Our whole life is to be "a house of prayer" - centred  on God, shaped by prayer. This means more than going to a place that is called "a house of prayer." God is calling us to a life of prayer. He's calling us to be prayerful people, people …

They Killed Him. God Raised Him!

"Come, let us kill him" (Matthew 21:38). This is the human story of Christ's crucifixion. He was "put to death by wicked men." There is also the divine story - "the deliberate plan and foreknowledge of God"(Acts 2:23). The wicked men thought that this was the end of Jesus. They were wrong! - "God raised …

Responding to Jesus Christ

Sixth Sunday in Lent (Palm / Passion): Entry into Jerusalem – Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Passion – Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54)    PALM SUNDAY Our response to Christ - Discipleship, Depth, Devotion Four times, Jesus is called ‘the Son of David’ (Matthew 20:30-31; 21:9,15). Christ is greater than …

Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday): Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66

Isaiah 50:4-7: Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14-27,66 Listening to God and speaking for Him ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught’ …

Look To Jesus – And Learn From Him.

In Matthew 9:18-38, we read about Jesus' healing ministry. At the end of Matthew 9, there's a reminder to us that the Lord's work is to be carried on by His followers - "The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest …

If suffering lies ahead of us, the Lord will make us strong.

Matthew 14:1-14 John the Baptist was 'arrested' and 'put in prison' (3). Shortly after this, he was 'beheaded' (10). John was a faithful man. He was 'faithful unto death' (Revelation 2:10). His death arose directly from his faithfulness to God. He died as a 'martyr'. Following the death of John, news came to Jesus, who …

“The Beatitudes” show us God’s way of blessing.

Matthew 5:3-12 ‘The Beatitudes’ show us God’s way of blessing. We might also describe them as the Be Attitudes, since they show us what we are to be. Jesus teaches us that the way to happiness is the way of holiness. The only alternative to the way of holiness is the way of hypocrisy. There …

Matthew 6:19-34 – Living for Christ is very different from worldly living.

On the one side of Christ's disciples, there are the hypocrites. On the other side, there are 'the Gentiles' (32). The hypocrites represent religion without reality. The Gentiles represent the world, living for material things only, refusing to take spiritual realities seriously. We are to be different from both the hypocrites and the Gentiles. Our …

A Special Person, A Special Purpose

"Jesus said absolutely nothing to him in reply, so the governor was very surprised" (Matthew 27:14). Jesus had not come to escape death. He had come to die. Pilate was surprised. He did not understand. This was not the normal response. Jesus could not be understood according to the thinking of other people. He was …

Slow, but sure

There's a story about a race between a tortoise and a hare. The hare started well, but he didn't finish. Somewhere along the way, he  became distracted - and lost his way. The tortoise started slowly, but he kept on going and he did finish. Jesus told a story about two about two men. One …

Not by works, for good works

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We look back - and we remember. What do we remember about Jesus? We …

If we are to be true followers of Jesus, we must learn to live our lives in the light of eternity.

"Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" (Matthew 17:6). Even after there is divine revelation (Matthew 16:17), the influence of evil can be felt (Matthew 16:23). The warning - "Be careful! Watch out ... !" must never be forgotten. Satan is looking for an opportunity to leads us away from …

Jesus Christ – the Son of God

Matthew 14:15-36 We read of the feeding of the five thousand (15-21) and the walking on water (25-33), and our thoughts go to Calvary. From the feeding with bread and fish, we move to the bread and wine, symbols of Jesus' body broken for us and His blood shed for us (26:26-28). From the confession …

From the wilderness to the glory

God "spreads a table in the wilderness" (Psalm 78:19). We read these words, and our thoughts turn to the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21). Israel was "in the wilderness." "The crowds" were in "a solitary place .. a remote place" (Matthew 14:13,15). "Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up …

Eternal life or eternal loss?

Matthew 25 begins with the words, "When the end comes" (Matthew 25:1), and ends with the words, "eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). Often, we might wish that this was all that the Word of God says  about "the end" - "eternal life." This is not all that is said. Jesus also speaks to us about eternal …

Lord, give us a listening ear.

What variety there is in Matthew 22 - a story about a wedding reception, a question about taxes, the dead come back to life, love God and your neighbour, how can David's son be David's Lord? When we read the Gospels, we must allow the Lord Jesus to speak to us on all the subjects …

God’s Will – Not My Will

“Every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). This sad situation is with us still. May God give us grace to pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Matthew 26:42).

When hard times come our way

"Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time, and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a …

Did God really say?

We go back to Genesis 3:1, back to "the serpent", and on, from there, to Revelation 12:9, "that ancient serpent, called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." Satan begins by questioning God's Word: "Did God really say?" - but he does not stop there. He goes on from questioning God's Word …

The Lord is leading His people on to better things.

Exodus 4:1-6:12; Matthew 26:31-46; Proverbs 4:10-19 Moses was not eloquent. God made him a mighty man of faith. Peter denied his Lord. God restored him and established him in Christ. We are inadequate and unworthy. God can do great things in us and through us. The Lord is leading His people on to better things: “The …

When things go badly wrong, the Lord is there for us.

Job 30:1-32:22; Matthew 22:15-46; Psalm 18:16-24 There were hypocrites trying to condemn Job. There were “hypocrites … trying to trap” Jesus (Matthew 22:18). In both cases, they had to give up – “they had found no way to refute Job” (Job 32:3); “No-one could say a word in reply” to Jesus (Matthew 22:46). The testimony …

Times of blessing…

Genesis 34:1-35:29; Matthew 12:46-13:17; Psalm 10:1-11 We have read about two times of blessing in Jacob’s life (Genesis 28:10-22; Genesis 32:22-32). Here’s a third time when the Lord blessed him (Genesis 35:9-12). The Lord’s blessing doesn’t come only once. He blesses His people again and again. He leads us on to a closer walk with Himself. …

Things are not always as they seem …

"Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”" (Genesis 27:22). This is a picture of deception. It's a reminder that we need to pray for discernment. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus warns us: "Not everyone who says …

The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting or reviving the soul.

Exodus 6:13-8:32; Matthew 26:47-68; Psalm 19:7-14 There is a clear similarity between Pharaoh and Judas. Pharaoh said, “I will let you go …” (Exodus 8:28). He didn’t keep his promise. ”Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Jesus” (Matthew 26:49). He betrayed Jesus. How are we to avoid this hypocrisy, this marked discrepancy between our words and …

God hasn’t stopped speaking to us through His Word – but have we stopped listening to Him?

Some people say, “Surely, you don’t believe the Bible.” They say that the Bible belongs to the past. It’s not for us today. This kind of talk takes us right back to the Garden of Eden – “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1).  The Bible says that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God?” …

Christ’s Journey Through History

Before we even reach the opening chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the Old Testament proclaims this message of hope: Christ is coming. The journey through the Old Testament  paves the way for the coming of Christ. The first 17 verses of Matthew’s Gospel gives us a brief outline of Old Testament history as a preparation for …

When the tempter comes

When the tempter comes, we must stand on God’s Word: ‘every Word that comes from... God’ (Matthew 4: 4).

Pleasing God is more important than pleasing people.

Matthew 10:21-42 Jesus tells us that 'a student is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master' (24). Our Teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Master. Jesus emphasizes that 'it is enough for the student to be like his teacher and the servant like his master' (25). This is the …

A human explanation, but that’s not the whole story!

“Come, let’s kill him” (Matthew 21:38). From Jesus’ parable, we look to His death. The crucifixion of Jesus has a human explanation: “wicked men put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross” – but that’s not the whole story! In the death of Jesus, we see God’s “plan” of salvation – His eternal …

Jesus – friend of sinners

"Friend of sinners" (Matthew 11:19) - what a great description of Jesus, our Saviour! He comes to us in love. He says to us,'I want to be your friend.' There are times when we feel alone. Jesus says to us, "You've got a friend.' He says to us, 'I am you friend.' The friendship of …

We rise up and stand firm.

Exodus 9:1-10:29; Matthew 26:69-27:10; Psalm 20:1-9 The tragedies of Pharaoh and Judas continue – “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart … Moses replied … I will never appear before you again” (Exodus 10:27-28). Judas “went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). This is the tragedy of those whose hearts are hardened against the Lord. The opportunity …

Always seeking, never finding

"The word is very near you" (Deuteronomy 30:14). Some people are always searching - but never finding. They look here, there and everywhere ... and, then, they start again ... and so, the search continues ... always searching, never finding. They tell us, "It's all about the search." Jesus tells us something very different. He …

Matthew 12:38-50 – “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.”

Jesus did not 'mince His words' with the Pharisees. He described them as 'a wicked and adulterous generation' (39,45). They were men who, by their stubborn refusal to listen to Jesus, had placed themselves under the judgment of God. The Pharisees may have had no time for Jesus, but there were those who were eager …

Love for the Lord and love for our neighbour – we need both, not just one or the other.

"'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:36-39). In today's world, there are plenty of people …

Do you want to enter God’s Kingdom? Make sure you are clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus speaks in parables. Some hear, understand and believe. Others miss the point altogether. One man was 'not wearing wedding clothes' (11). He was dressed in the 'filthy rags' of his own 'righteous acts' (Isaiah 64:6). He was not clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 21:1-2, 7:9-14). Without Christ's righteousness we are …