Journey through the New Testament: Matthew

Matthew 1-2 This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is not the beginning of God’s revelation. It is not the beginning of His redemption. The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him …

“I remember the day when I met Jesus.”

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the …

Created – For Salvation

Genesis speaks of the beginning. Matthew speaks of a new beginning. The God who created us is the God who has provided for our salvation. If we are to enjoy God's salvation, we must learn to follow the wisdom of Psalm 1:1-2 - "Blessed is the one ... whose delight is in the law of …

Jesus – the Storyteller

In Matthew 13, we see Jesus, the Storyteller. His stories are ordinary stories - with an extraordinary message. The stories are human. The message is divine. They are stories about people. They are stories about God. Following on from Jesus' parables, we have His return to "His hometown" (Matthew 13:54). The people were "amazed" at …

Hearing And Obeying God’s Word

The choices that we make while we are here on earth will decide whether we will spend eternity with the Lord or apart from Him. This is the message of Matthew 7:13-14. "False prophets ... vicious wolves" will seek to lead us away from the Lord (Matthew 7:15-16). We must pray that the Lord will …

A positive faith is much more helpful than a purely negative reaction!

The Pharisees were subtle - just like the ‘ancient serpent who is the devil’ (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 20:2). They tried ‘to entangle Jesus in His talk’ (Matthew 22:15). They wanted to trap Him and bring a charge against Him. They asked Jesus about payment of taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:17). Jesus moved beyond this question …

God’s Word still speaks to us (74): Looking beyond the preachers of God’s Word, looking to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried …

The Kingdom of God: Matthew’s Gospel

From the beginning of his ministry, "Jesus went about ... preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). The message of Jesus could be summed up in this way: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Jesus' message was good news. This is what the word, 'gospel' means - good news. …

The School of Discipleship (15): Learning from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, “The Cost of Discipleship”

What can we learn from Bonhoeffer's book, The Cost of Discipleship? This book was first published when Bonhoeffer was only 31 years old. Page references are to the edition I was using at the time I wrote these notes. I've included the page references. It will give you a rough idea of the part of …

Responding to God’s Word (37): Come, let us worship and bow down.

We have come to worship him (Matthew 2:2). As we read these words, spoken by the wise men, who came to worship Jesus, may we become more deeply aware of how much Jesus loves us, and may we open our hearts, more fully, to his great love for us.

Learning from Romans (11): No Condemnation

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). What a wonderful Word from the Lord this is! Wherever we look in our life, we feel that we are condemned - but, here, God says something else about us. he says something very wonderful. Jesus was not condemned. He is …

Learning from Genesis 1 (11): God speaks, and it is done.

God speaks, and it is done (Genesis 1:3,6-7,11). He is pleased with what He has done (Genesis 1:4,10,12). This is the pattern of both God’s original creation and our life as a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). God speaks to us and we say, ‘Your will be done’ (Matthew 6:10).

The Word and the words (9): Speaking with authority, speaking with power

"No one ever spoke the way this man does" (John 7:46). There was something different about Jesus. There was something special about him. Jesus spoke with authority - "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me" (John 7:16). Jesus spoke with power. In John 7:37-39, Jesus speaks of "rivers …

A question that each one of us must answer

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the …

Matthew 1-2

In chapter 1, we learn of the way of God's working, "by the Holy Spirit", and the outcome of His working, the birth of our Saviour. This is, still, a lesson for us concerning the new birth. Through the Spirit, Christ is born in us. In chapter 2, we see men being led to Jesus. …

Matthew 3-4

We read of John, the baptist, and Jesus, the baptized. The baptism of Jesus is a high point - we read of the Spirit's descent and the Father's declaration. It is followed  by a low point - the wilderness of temptation. In 3:17, we read of the Father's interest in Jesus. In 4:1, we read …

God’s Word still speaks to us (71): Saved to the uttermost

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). There are plenty of people who say that they believe in God, but they do not earnestly seek him, and they do not come to him …

Matthew 5-7

In "the Sermon on the Mount", we learn, from Jesus, that the way to happiness is the way of holiness. Holiness is to be seen. Happiness is to be shared. Holiness must take shape in our lives - the shape of Jesus Christ, living in us. The truly happy life is the Christ-centred life. It's …

Matthew 15-17

The Lord Jesus Christ stood in stark contrast to the religious leaders of His day. They were false hypocrites. He was, in reality, the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:16). In chapter 17, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the events that lay ahead of Him: His death and resurrection. We must not …

Matthew 18-20

Jesus teaches us how we are to relate to God. He, also, teaches us how we are to relate to one another. Our relationship with God shapes our relationship with others. We, who love God, are to show our love for God in our love for others (chapter 18). Our relationship with God, also, shapes …

Searching the Scriptures and finding the Saviour

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse …

Matthew 21-22

Jesus' parables of the Kingdom were a significant part of His ministry. It is still true today that there are those who, when they hear God's Word, see what it's all about, while there are others who miss the point altogether. We should not be discouraged because some do not believe, but we should give …

God’s unfailing love and his great salvation

May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise (Psalm 119:41). We come to this prayer of the Psalmist, and we are reminded of God's unfailing love. We are reminded of God's great salvation. How often and how easily we forget God's words of love, his words of salvation. We look at …

Matthew 23-24

The way of hypocrisy must be avoided (chapter 23). It is a way which comes under the stern judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. The seeds of judgment are sown by the hypocrite in this earthly life. The fruit of judgment on hypocrisy will be seen in its fullness when Christ returns - "there will …

God’s love, God’s Son, God’s command, God’s purpose

Easter Sunday Morning: Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10 God’s love, God’s Son, God’s command, God’s purpose ‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you... you will be My witnesses... to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). This great advance of the Gospel …

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; …

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God.

Easter Vigil: Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13; Psalm 46; Genesis 22:1-18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21; Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18; Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6; Psalm 19; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Psalms 42 and 43; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 143; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 98; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 114; Matthew 28:1-10 In …

God’s Word still speaks to us (53): In love, God draws us to himself through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.

These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the …

God’s Word still speaks to us (52): Jesus spoke with authority. He still speaks with authority.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law (Matthew 7:28-29). In Matthew's Gospel, chapters 5 to 7, we have 'the Sermon on the Mount.' In the final two verses of chapter 7, Matthew tells us …

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’ …

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 …

Matthew 25

Jesus, in His parables, emphasizes that the Gospel calls for a response. If the response is lacking, "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." This will take place at Christ's return. Then, the sheep and the goats will be separated. It will become clear that men and women, in their response to Christ, have …

May our words point to Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.

Ninth Sunday (or Last Sunday) after the Epiphany (Transfiguration of the Lord) – Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2 (or Psalm 99, suggested as an alternative for Ninth Sunday); 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9 May our words point to Jesus Christ, the living Word of God. Moses was alone with the Lord - receiving the Word of …

God’s Word still speaks to us (41): Learning to understand our life and live our life in the light of God’s eternal kingdom

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever (Daniel 2:44).  In all of the ups and downs of human …

God’s Word still speaks to us (39): Jesus Christ is God’s Son. He is our Saviour. He is our Lord.

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 16:15-17). Where did Peter's great confession of …

God’s Word still speaks to us (38): Our wonderful Saviour and his wonderful salvation

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The name of Jesus is the name of our Saviour. The name of Jesus is the name of our salvation. What a wonderful name is the name of Jesus, …

Matthew 26-27

Reading the story of the last days of Jesus' earthly life gives to us a sense of the progressive closing in on Jesus of the powers of evil, as He entered more fully into His suffering for the sins of the world. This is "the old, old story", yet it is "ever new." Out  of …

Matthew 28

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ declared His victory over the powers of evil - the triumph of His love for sinners. Reading the words of the angel - "There is no need for you to be afraid ... He has risen", we rejoice in the truth that "perfect love casts out fear." The …

Holiness and love

Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany – Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119:33-40; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23; Matthew 5:38-48 Holiness and love Holiness and love - the two belong together (Leviticus 19:1, 18, 34). God calls us to live a life of holiness, a life of love. Through His Spirit - the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of …

God’s Word still speaks to us (31): This is my Son… Listen to him!

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Just …

God’s Word still speaks to us (9): Perfect peace – the peace of God

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).  In our journey through life, we can become restless, troubled by many different things that are happening in our own lives and in today's world. Here, the words of Jesus speaks to us. His words strike a chord …

Exodus 15:1-16:36; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 21:8-13

The great Old Testament events of redemption have taken place – the Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. Now, the Lord’s people must make their way through the wilderness. The great New Testament events of redemption have taken place – the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To His people, the …

G. C. Berkouwer On “Election And The Hiddenness Of God”

In his discussion, "Election and the Hiddenness of God" in Divine Election (Chapter Four, pp.102-131), G. C. Berkouwer emphasizes that God's hiddenness is not to be set over against His salvation. He rejects a concept of God's hiddenness which "separates the God of revelation from our lives and mitigates the absolute trustworthiness of that revelation" …

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Isaiah 8:23-9:3; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23 "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:2). The prophecy has been spoken - ‘To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...’. The prophecy has been fulfilled - ‘Today in the town of David …

Let us bring Christ to the nations.

Baptism of the Lord (First Sunday in Ordinary Time): Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 Let us bring Christ to the nations. Let us serve the Lord in the power of the Spirit. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and …

Good News for everyone

Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany – Isaiah 49:8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34 Good News for everyone: Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. ‘I, the Lord, am your Saviour, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob’. We are not to keep this to ourselves. God wants ‘all mankind’ to ‘know’ (Isaiah 49:26). ‘Jesus, the …

Let Us Worship Jesus.

The wise men did want to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:2). Herod said that he wanted to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:8). What a difference there is between saying that we want to worship Jesus and really wanting to worship Him. This highlights the conflict between false religion and true worship. Religion may say the right things, …

A Special Man – With A Special Mission

Matthew 1:18-25 Before Jesus is born, there is a revelation from God. God tells us who Jesus is. He is Emmanuel: God with us (Matthew 1:23). God tells us why Jesus has come to earth. He has come to be our Saviour (Matthew 1:21). In this divine revelation concerning Jesus, our Saviour / Emmanuel, God …

Let the light of Christ shine.

Season of Epiphany: Epiphany of the Lord – Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 Let the light of Christ shine. ‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come... the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1, 19-20). Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the world’. When we ‘follow Him’, we ‘will not …

Jesus brings His light into our darkness.

For more of these Daily Devotional Readings, visit God's Word For Every Day. Matthew 4:12-17 Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus' temptations with these ominous words, 'When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time' (4:12). Satan …

Our faith must be grounded in the Son of God and the Word of God.

Matthew 7:15-29 Whenever we are seeking to follow Christ, there will be dangers - false prophets (15-20), empty profession (21-23). Clearly, our faith must be grounded in the Son of God and the Word of God. This is the point of Jesus' parable of the two builders and the two houses (24-27). We must build …

Special Days – St. Andrew’s Day (30th November): Zechariah 8:20-23; Psalm 87; Romans 10:8b-15; Matthew 4:12-20

Let us pray that the Spirit will be poured upon us from on high. When people stop listening to God’s Word, their life becomes ‘a desolate wasteland’ (Zechariah 7:11-14). What are we to do when we see this happening? - ‘Do not be afraid... Be strong’. We must keep on believing God’s promise: ‘I will …

God comes to us with grace and power.

Third Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12 or Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 God comes to us with grace and power. Let us rejoice in His faithfulness. This is a divine Story, carried forward by God’s grace and power. God’s very great promises (Genesis 12:1-3) find their ultimate fulfilment in …

Led in “the way everlasting”

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-13, 23-24 or Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Saved by grace, we are led “in the way everlasting.” Was this just another night (Genesis 28:11)? No! This was a night to remember, a night Jacob would never forget. God came to him with His …

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God – our Saviour

Genesis 21:1-23:20; Matthew 8:23-9:13; Psalm 7:10-17 As we read of the testing of Abraham in regard to God's call for Isaac to be sacrificed, we have a hint of God's provision of Jesus Christ as the Saviour who was sacrificed for the sins of the world. By faith, Abraham says, "God himself will provide the …

A stairway to heaven …

Genesis 27:1-28:32; Matthew 10:32-11:5; Psalm 9:1-6 As we see the progress of the divine promise through the line of Jacob, we also see that Esau married into Ishmael’s side of the family (Genesis 28:8-9). The tremendous experience, given by God to Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22) was one of the great turning-points in Jacob’s life (see also Genesis …

Looking back and looking forward

Special Days – Remembrance Day: Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 20; Revelation 22:1-5; Matthew 5:38-48 Looking back and looking forward ‘O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name... You have done marvellous things’ (Isaiah 25:1). We remember what God has done for us. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be …

Do this. Don’t do that. Is there more than this?

Do this, Don't do that: Is this all that there is, for us, in the Christian life? Is this all that God is saying to us? In their childhood, many people were taught "the ten commandments." We find them in Exodus 20. In "the ten commandments", there are a whole lot of "Don't do this" …

Receiving strength from the Lord

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 or Jonah 3:10-4:11; Psalm 145:1-8; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 Receiving strength from the Lord God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? - To strengthen our faith (Exodus 15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2, 16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don't …

Dreams and parables

Genesis 36:1-37:36; Matthew 13:18-35; Psalm 10:12-18 When Joseph spoke of his dream, “his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind” (Genesis 37:11). Jacob was becoming aware that Joseph was the man whom God had chosen to carry the purpose of God forward into the next generation. Joseph’s dreams had been …