Matthew 4: The barely mentioned ministry of Jesus.
When thinking of the public ministry of Jesus, I usually think of it as beginning with the Sermon on the Mount. This would not be accurate. Immediately following his baptism and Satan’s temptation in the wilderness, Jesus went to Galilee and dwelled in Capernaum among the Gentiles. Of this period, Matthew says it was the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:1-2. The public life and ministry of Jesus began among the Gentiles, “the people who sat in darkness… and in the region…
Matthew 3: John the Baptizer
John the Baptizer is one of the all-time great characters in all of Scripture. Concerning him, the Lord said, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptizer…” Because of the way John burst on the scene and his message, many have a rather monolithic view of this great man. Most think of him only in terms of his strange ways and his call of repentance (not unlike the Lord – Matt 4:17, 11:19).…
Matthew 2: Prophecies Surrounding the Early Days of Jesus
I would love to spend today’s blog talking about the false narrative of equating Jesus’ family fleeing to Egypt with thousands of “refugees” who are attempting to enter America, but that would date the blog in years to come, assuming anyone was interested in reading it. Instead, I want to focus on the four prophecies fulfilled with Jesus’ birth and subsequent events in Matthew 2. The first prophecy concerns the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem as recorded in Matthew 2:1-6.…
Matthew 1: I’m the black sheep of the family.
So sang John Anderson in his 1983 hit song. When one reads Matthew’s account of the Lord’s genealogy, he sees quite a few names of people with less than stellar character. In verse 3 we see Judah, to whom Tamar bare Perez and Terah. You may recall that Tamar was Judah’s daughter in law who posed as a harlot and tricked Judah into a sexual relationship because Judah had failed to deliver Shelah as her husband (Gen 38). So we…
The Two Witnesses to Your Salvation: by Dan Jenkins
The apostle Paul made an astounding affirmation when he said, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16). How can I know that I am saved? How can I have confidence that I am pleasing to God? Paul’s words said it all—the Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit. There is a Biblical concept that should be remembered in all matters, but especially in this one about my salvation. There must…
The Effects of Sin
“Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” This adage is true wherever and in whomever sin may found, be it an individual, a family, a nation, or the church. In considering sin’s effect on the individual, family, and nation, I can think of no better example than that of the life of David. The best known of David’s downfalls begins…
Would you crucify Him again?
Hebrews 6:4-6 is a very interesting (and disturbing) text, speaking of those who have exercised the miraculous spiritual gifts, yet still fall away from the Lord. The Hebrews writer says it is impossible “to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (v 6 NKJV). The thought of causing Jesus to be crucified again ought to cause one to shudder. I was thinking of this idea…
Remembering the Lord’s Death Every Week
During this time of the year (Easter and the other “holy days” leading up to it), there are many religious rites, rituals, and ceremonies that take place to commemorate our Lord’s death for the sins of mankind. Many have already celebrated “Lent,” “Palm Sunday,” “Ash Wednesday,” and “Good Friday.” Many will have special “sunrise services” today. All of these celebrations are done according to the traditions of men and not according to the commandment of God (Mt 15:7-9). A lot…
The Bible, the Christian, and Illegal Immigrants
Illegal immigration in America is perhaps the greatest hot-button topic of the present day. The subject dominates the television news channels and editorial pages. People from different cultural and religious backgrounds all have strong opinions on the matter. Very few (I only know a handful) have a shrug of the shoulders or “live and let live” attitude about it. Perhaps the greatest problem is the lack of meaningful dialogue in the present discussion. Many of us would like to have…
How Did God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?
Concerning free will, one of the more perplexing texts is the account of Pharaoh in Exodus. Ten times in this account we find some statement that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (cf 4:21, 7:3, 14:4). However, there are also ten instances where the text says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (cf 8:15, 32, 9:34-35). Calvinists have attempted in vain to reconcile the statements to their own disgrace and the derision by skeptics. Others struggle with the apparent discrepancy in free…