In Matthew 20:29-34 Jesus heals two blind men….. almost exactly like He did in Matthew 9:27-31. There too, Jesus encounters two blind men. There too, the blind men show a remarkable urgency & persistence in their cry for help. There too, these blind men demonstrate an astounding understanding of Jesus’ identity; confessing Him as both […]
Matthew 17:14-18 Time to Get Ready to Work Like Jesus
When Jesus, Peter, James and John arrive at the bottom of the mountain after the transfiguration they walk up on a mess. The disciples are arguing with the scribes, and at the center of the argument is the inability of the disciples to deliver a young boy from demonic possession. We then see an angry […]
Matthew 14:34-36 Some Much Needed R&R….. & Two More Rs
Do you every get tired? Are you ever tempted to quit? Or to at least ‘take our foot off the gas’ a little? A little R&R; rest & relaxation, is what we think we need. But we don’t see too much of that in the ministry of our Lord Jesus. Listen as Pastor Matt breaks […]
Matthew 12:41-42- A Greater Prophet, King, Temple & Judgment
The Ninevites repented after hearing the preaching of a man who was arguably the least impressive prophet in the Old Testament; Jonah. Jonah performed no signs, no wonders, and preached an eight word sermon that announced pending doom, and the godless Ninevites responded in repentance. Likewise, the Queen of the South came from the ends […]
Matthew 12:22-24 An Ailing Man, the Amazed Masses, and Some Accusatory Morons
In this text Jesus heals one of the more afflicted men He ever helped; a demon-possessed blind mute! The watching crowed is amazed, and asks a very important question, ‘This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?’ Although the question is asked in a way that is far from faith-filled, the very mention […]
Matthew 12:15-16 Jesus’ Response to a Conspiracy
After Jesus refuted the Pharisees misunderstanding of the sabbath, and violated their tradition by healing on the sabbath, the Pharisees conspired together as to how they might destroy Jesus. Listen as Pastor Matt looks at Jesus’ response to their conspiracy. He simply withdrew from the immediate danger, continued living a life of compassionate obedience, and […]
Matthew 12:9-14 Was Jesus a Sabbath Breaker? Part 4 A Case Study
In Matthew 12:1-8 we saw a showdown between Jesus and the Pharisees and their rival interpretations of God’s law. This showdown took place in the grain fields, as the Pharisees accused Jesus of being a Sabbath breaker because His disciples plucked heads of grain to eat. Jesus answered those ridiculous accusations by looking to the […]
Matthew 9:27-31 Blind Men Who See So Clearly
God’s grace is amazing! Consider the story of the two blind men who Jesus healed in Matthew 9. Before Jesus healed their blindness, God had already opened their eyes to a profound truth. Two poor, destitute, blind men understood what the prominent, rich, healthy Scribes, Pharisees, & teachers of the law had missed; Jesus was […]
Matthew 9:18-26 A Ruler and an Outcast, Death and Sleep
Human greatness is relative. One person may be exalted above another person in many measurable ways, but compared to the infinitude of God we are all so very small. The powerful, esteemed, educated, rich people of this age have something very important in common with the weak, detested, uneducated, poor. We are all going to […]
Matthew 9:1-8 The Paralytic’s Greatest Need
Matthew’s narrative arrangement in chapters 7:28-9:8 shows a progressive development in revealing Jesus’ credentials as the divine Messiah. We saw the authority of His teaching (7:29), we saw His authority over disease (8:3-15), we saw His authority over nature with the wind and the seas obeying Him (8:26-27), and then we saw His authority over […]
