1 Peter 1:13-21

Christ within is our only hope! His birth, His death and His glorious resurrection given as the greatest gift that mankind can receive!

Faith pleases God!

1 Peter 1:13–21

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Just as people in biblical times would gather up their long robes and tie them around their waists so that they could move quickly and freely, we need to do whatever it takes to focus our thoughts on those things that allow us to serve God successfully, all the while eliminating any thoughts that would trip us up. Peter’s concern here is primarily using mentally or spiritually sound judgment. We need to exhibit confidence that God will accomplish all that He promised He would do.

Believers should not pattern their lives after the desires that controlled them when they were not Christians, when they did not know God’s ways. Holy refers to being set apart or separate. We are to live so as to be dedicated totally to God and separated totally from the sin of this world. Our heavenly Father is also our earthly Judge. Moreover, our relationship to Him as His children does not imply that we will escape judgment. God does not show favoritism in judgment but invokes His judgment on all people according to their works. For Christians, this phrase should be understood as something between terror and reverential awe. We need to remember that God is both our merciful Savior and our holy Judge.

Redeemed suggests the idea of offering something, usually money, in exchange for the freedom of a slave or a prisoner of war. God bought our freedom, paying for us with His Son’s life. Peter’s focus is not on any specific action, but on the way of life that his readers inherited from their ancestors. Those old ways were futile, empty of power and incapable of securing salvation. Peter’s readers needed to be snatched from their hopeless condition. God’s way of salvation is contrasted to human attempts at gaining salvation through the use of earthly means. Peter describes Christ as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, who is offered in our place to pay the price for our sins. The analogy here may be a reference either to the Passover lamb or to the many lambs without blemish that were offered as part of the OT sacrificial system.

God has known the One who would bring salvation, even as He has known those to whom that salvation is offered and secured. This phrase contrasts with the first half of the verse. What was known only to God before the creation of the world is now made known to us. NKJ Bible.

Christians are called to anticipate and live in anticipation of their salvation. Christ’s resurrection is the basis for Christian hope; His final revelation will complete God’s deliverance of His people. Due to its emphasis on separation from previous behavior, the phrase may indicate that Peter wrote the letter to churches composed primarily of Gentile believers who did not abide by the Jewish law. Holiness can refer to being blameless and without sin, but it also describes a person set apart for service to God. Here Peter cites the Septuagint version of Leviticus 19:2 to exhort Christians to lead holy lives. However, for Peter true holiness does not consist of keeping the law, but instead obeying the Father. God calls His people to holiness—to reflect His character.

Peter commands Christians to fear God, not those who persecute them. First Peter often highlights the costly nature of Christ’s sacrifice and the salvation it made possible. This may refer to a lamb qualified for sacrifice. Here Peter likens Christ’s sacrifice to that of a lamb offered according to the ot sacrificial system or, more likely, the Passover lamb in the exodus narrative. In the nt, Christ is depicted as the perfect Passover lamb whose sacrifice redeems believers from the slavery of sin. God’s redemption of sinners through the precious blood of His Son was always part of the divine plan of salvation. Earlier in the letter Peter reminds his audience that the ot prophets anticipated salvation here he seeks to comfort them with the knowledge that Christ’s sacrifice unfolded as part of God’s eternal plan. Faithlife Bible.

Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.

1 Timothy 5:1-1

I lost my aunt yesterday, she was 4 years older than me, my mother's youngest sister. My brother and I were allowed into Primrose, who is in lockdown, to share the news of her passing. There are times that I wish I wasn't the only one who lives in our hometown.There are other times that I thank God for allowing me to share my parents life in such an intimate way these many years. Rest in peace Aunt Sandy...rest in God's loving arms. Say hi to Jamey and Daddy for me!

Treat all people with respect and the dignity of being a creation of  God especially fellow believers.

Always remember that God shows no partiality but He invites all  to His supper. It is up to them to accept His  gift in Jesus. 

1 Timothy 5:1–2

5 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

Paul writes about several groups within the church under Timothy’s charge. He begins by providing instructions regarding different age groups. Faithlife Bible.

This is a word of caution to young men. They must respect the purity of the younger women as the purity of a sister. They are commanded to show respect, a respect demonstrated by one’s attitude. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 37:15-23

In Christ, we are grafted into the root, we who were once without hope have the very Spirit of God dwelling in us. 

Christ within is our hope of eternity with our Triune God!

Ezekiel 37:15–23

15 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 16 “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ 17 Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

18 “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—19 say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.” ’ 20 And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.

21 “Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel performs a sign-act depicting the reunification of Israel and Judah. As before, his symbolic actions illicit a confused response from the people, resulting in two prophecies that explain his actions.

The first piece of wood symbolizes Judah,  the southern kingdom. The second piece of wood symbolizes the northern kingdom of Israel. Ephraim was Joseph’s son, and the tribe named after him became the most powerful in the northern kingdom. Due to the tribe’s dominance, biblical writers commonly use the name Ephraim to refer to the northern kingdom as a whole.  

Ezekiel’s sign-act predicts a future restoration of Israel and Judah into a unified kingdom. From the perspective of Ezekiel and the community of exiles in Babylon, it would have been nearly 150 years since the northern tribes were deported by the Assyrians (722 bc). The metaphor of the dry bones may serve to reflect that span of time. Perhaps the exiles’ pessimism extended to a concern that they would essentially disappear and be forgotten, as the northern tribes had. With this prophecy, Yahweh promises that neither is true. Faithlife Bible.

The bones symbolize the whole house of Israel. This identification picks up on imagery already used: (1) those identified as dry or spiritually dead; (2) those identified as despondent and dejected, with no apparent hope of being “resurrected” as the people of the living God; and (3) those described as disassembled and dispersed before being rejoined and rebuilt. 

The major thrust of this passage is the coming spiritual rebirth of God’s chosen people through the agency of His Spirit. The spiritual rebirth would miraculously revive and restore human beings to what God had intended them to be in the beginning. The same body-breath sequence occurs in the creation of Adam. NKJ Bible.

2 Chronicles 11:16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles 15:9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

Zechariah 10:6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back,Because I have mercy on them.They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them.”

Ezekiel 37:1-14

 We live and breathe in the Spirit of God. We, who were dead in our sins, are reborn in the righteousness of Christ.

Christ within the hope of God’s glory in mankind!

Ezekiel 37:1–14

37 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel’s experience of the Spirit of Yahweh indicates the onset of a visionary trance. Ezekiel does not see corpses of people who died recently (those from the siege of Jerusalem. Instead, he sees a wide plain filled with dry bones—apparently randomly strewn human bones, not skeletons. The scene resembles a long-forgotten battlefield, where two armies fought and died with no one left to bury them. Over time, the bones would have been bleached and dried by the elements, while animal scavengers may have scattered them across the field. Based on Ezekiel’s familiarity with Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultural and religious practices, he may have heard about the Zoroastrian  practice of exposing corpses to the elements instead of burying or cremating them. Zoroastrians also believed in a physical resurrection of the dead.

Yahweh is not asking Ezekiel for his opinion on whether people can be brought back to life. The prophet would have been familiar with that possibility based on the experiences of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Ezekiel’s response indicates his understanding that the possibility depended entirely on Yahweh’s actions. 

Yahweh answers by commanding Ezekiel to prophesy, thereby demonstrating the faith implicit in his response. His command to prophesy to dry bones would seem a pointless effort. But Ezekiel has prophesied over inanimate objects before, most recently in his oracle of restoration for the mountains of Israel. Not only will the bones be reanimated, they will be completely restored with tendons, muscles, and skin. Ezekiel acts directly as Yahweh’s agent of renewal. Yahweh did not need Ezekiel’s participation to achieve the outcome He desired, but He involved Ezekiel anyway, testing his faith and obedience and using him to accomplish His will.

The bones are brought back together and the bodies are restored, but the essence of life is still absent. The second command emphasizes that life had not yet been restored. The earlier prophecy promised “breath” before the sinews, flesh, and skin. The two levels of prophecy and fulfillment provide an element of dramatic suspense and highlight the importance of the “breath”. The essence of life enters after the body is created, just as when God created Adam. 

Yahweh explains to Ezekiel that the bones represent all of Israel. The dryness of the bones reflects the exiles’ hopeless pessimism. The interpretation also expands on the vision by predicting Israel’s return to their land in the future, symbolized by a resurrection of the dead from their graves. The dry bones represent the nation of Israel collectively and throughout history—not just the recent victims of invasion and exile. Even the northern tribes, exiled much earlier by the Assyrians in 722 bc, are included. The people’s statement reflects the exiles’ general attitude. Resurrection of the dead metaphorically illustrates Israel’s restoration as a nation. Faithlife Bible.

Not only do the bones speak of death, indeed of many deaths, but for bones to be left in the open was an indignity and indecency according to Jewish custom. To leave bodies unburied until the bones were exposed was unthinkable.

The prophet placed his faith completely in the living God. Ordinarily, one would say “no” to the question God posed. But Ezekiel did not limit God; he knew the Almighty could make bones live. The word translated breath is translated in other places as wind or Spirit. The breath sent by God into the lifeless bodies symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who brings renewal, regeneration, and rebirth. 

These passages are not about resurrection from physical death, but rebirth from spiritual death brought about by divine power. Psalm 87 is another text in the Hebrew Scriptures that speaks of spiritual rebirth. The point of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus was that he should have known and understood the concept of a second birth.

The dramatic noise and then coming together of the bones with new flesh must have been chilling and thrilling to the prophet. This was a prophetic portrayal of the rebirth of Israel.

The dead bones in the valley must have looked like the aftermath of a horrible military defeat in which there were no survivors even to bury the dead. But now the army stood upon their feet.

The bones symbolize the whole house of Israel. This identification picks up on imagery already used: (1) those identified as dry or spiritually dead; (2) those identified as despondent and dejected, with no apparent hope of being “resurrected” as the people of the living God; and (3) those described as disassembled and dispersed before being rejoined and rebuilt. 

The major thrust passage is the coming spiritual rebirth of God’s chosen people through the agency of His Spirit. The spiritual rebirth would miraculously revive and restore human beings to what God had intended them to be in the beginning. The same body-breath sequence occurs in the creation of Adam. NKJ Bible.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Deuteronomy 32:39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me;I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.

1 Samuel 2:6 “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.

Psalm 104:29  You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

Psalm 104:30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.

Ezekiel 21:13-17

Hold fast to the faith you have in God and in the salvation that He provides in Jesus Christ. Study to stand approved. All Scripture is relevant both in the Old and the New Testaments. God will allow history  to repeat itself if we do not learn our lessons. Let holy spirit have free reign.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Hold tightly to the only hope there is for mankind, Jesus.

Ezekiel 21:13-17

13 “Because it is a testing,

And what if the sword despises even the scepter?

The scepter shall be no more,”

says the Lord God.

14 “You therefore, son of man, prophesy,

And strike your hands together.

The third time let the sword do double damage.

It is the sword that slays,

The sword that slays the great men,

That enters their private chambers.

15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates,

That the heart may melt and many may stumble.

Ah! It is made bright;

It is grasped for slaughter:

16 “Swords  at the ready!

Thrust right!

Set your blade!

Thrust left—

Wherever your edge is ordered!

17 “I also will beat My fists together,

And I will cause My fury to rest;

I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Ezekiel is miming the actions described here: brandishing a sharp sword, cutting both directions, and acting out the judgment to come. Faithlife Bible.

Israel failed a test. The sword would strike God’s people, specifically the nation’s rulers (the meaning of the word scepter). The Jews had misinterpreted these promises to mean that their nation would never fall. Because of their sin, however, the Davidic line of kings would be interrupted. False messianic hopes related to Judah were corrected when Jerusalem was overthrown in 586 b.c. by Nebuchadnezzar.

Ezekiel was commanded to clap. The order the third time let the sword do double damage was a numeric device used here to emphasize the extent and effectiveness of the sword’s (or Babylon’s) employment against Judah. I also will beat My fists pictures God clapping along with Ezekiel. God would applaud the fact that even evil events can be made to serve His purposes and plans.

Ezekiel 5:13 ‘Thus shall My anger be spent, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be avenged; and they shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them.

Matthew 24:30-15

Be prepared in season and out. Our feelings do not govern our walk…Our effort to keep our relationship to God does.

Listen closely to Holy Spirit He will guide you.

Matthew 24:30-35

32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! 34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

In the old testament, trumpets typically accompany religious or military events. The sound of the trumpet is also a motif signaling the day of God’s judgment. Jesus presents a brief parable to demonstrate how the disciples should discern the signs of the times. Just as a fig tree gives clear indications as to when summer will arrive, so too will the events of this chapter indicate the arrival of the Son of Man. Faithlife Bible.

The sign of the Son of Man probably refers to Christ Himself appearing in heaven. The tribes of the earth probably refers to Israel. The context here is the national repentance of Israel predicted in Zechariah. The Son of Man coming on the clouds will be a fulfillment of Daniel.

Gather refers to the gathering of the elect (God’s people, both Jews and Gentiles) that will gloriously begin Christ’s reign.

The fig tree does not necessarily indicate Israel here. We can predict the coming of summer from certain signs. The branches of trees become tender and produce leaves. In the same way, we will know the end is coming when we see the signs Jesus described in this passage.

Generation may mean “race,” indicating that Israel as a people will not cease to exist before God fulfills His promises to them. Another possibility is that the word describes a particular era in which people will see the end times. That is, the events will occur so rapidly that all will happen within one generation. Perhaps both interpretations are true. All these things includes the Antichrist, the tribulation, and most importantly the appearance of Christ in glory.

The words of Christ are more certain than the very existence of the universe. NKJ Bible.

Exodus 19:16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

Deuteronomy 4:32 “For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.

Deuteronomy 30:4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.

Daniel 7:13 “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

Zechariah 12:12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;

John 14:1-4

Jesus is the only way to the Father. The spirit of the anti-Christ…that god wants your soul!

Study to stand approved.

John 14:1-4

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Jesus reiterates to His disciples that faith in Him alone will bring salvation. He uses another metaphorical “I am” statement—this time that He is the way, the truth, and the life. 

Jesus is referring to the heavenly abode, where God the Father sits enthroned. Jesus had already declared God’s symbolic earthly dwelling, the temple, to be insignificant in comparison to God’s work through His new temple, Jesus. This and Jesus’ condemnation of the conduct of the earthly keepers of His “Father’s house” establish Jesus as a better, heavenly alternative.

The Jerusalem temple was an earthly representation of God’s heavenly dwelling. When talking with David about the possible construction of the temple, God even calls it a “house for my name”. David later calls it a “house for the sanctuary”. Jesus’ imagery here would have been familiar to His disciples. Heaven is depicted as God’s throne and the earth as God’s footstool. There is room for many people in God’s kingdom and His heavenly abode, where those who accept Jesus dwell eternally. Jesus is the fulfillment of God dwelling among His people. Jesus is describing an event that will occur after His ascension to God’s heavenly abode. Faithlife Bible.

After announcing Judas’s betrayal, His own imminent departure, and Peter’s denial, Jesus told His disciples not to be troubled, but to trust Him.

Everybody has a longing for a permanent, secure place. Such places have already been set aside for all of God’s children. Peter may have failed Jesus, but Christ will not fail to return for Peter and for everyone else who has believed in Him. NKJ Bible.

Psalm 33:13-14 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth;

Isaiah 63:15 Look down from heaven, and see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, the yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained?

Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

Luke 12:24028

Our Father cares for you. He will not leave you. He places Holy Spirit in you to comfort and guide you all the days of your life here on earth. He will deliver you safely home!

Faith allows Him to work in  your life!

Luke 12:24-28

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

Jesus repeats a comparison He made earlier. If God takes care of the birds, He surely will provide for His people. Anxiety accomplishes nothing. Jesus uses this in reference to the disciples when they doubt God’s providence. Faithlife Bible.

Jesus describes God’s care of ravens, unclean creatures according to Jewish law and among the least respected of birds. Yet God even cares for them. How much more value are you, says Jesus, pointing out that God will surely care for the disciple as well. It is uncertain whether Jesus is saying through His rhetorical question that worry cannot add to one’s physical height or that worry cannot add to one’s life span. In fact, worry can sometimes shorten life. What is clear is that worry is utterly useless and shows a lack of faith in God’s plan for our lives. Even the wealthy King Solomon did not clothe himself as God has clothed the lilies. The illustration of grass indicates that God cares enough to provide beauty for the parts of His creation that have a short life. Why should we worry if God takes such care of even the smallest blade of grass? The Lord knows our problems and will provide us with what we need. God will provide. Our first priority should be doing the will of God. NKJ Bible.

The purpose behind the writings of Matthew

Study to stand approved.

Our good works proclaim to the world our faith and love for God. Sometimes this can seem overwhelming, but with our dear Helper, Holy Spirit, He will teach us all things.

The Purpose behind Matthew

A final purpose of Matthew is to instruct the church. An obvious clue to this is in the Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you”. The discipling process involves instruction in the words of Christ, and the Gospel of Matthew revolves around five of Jesus’ discourses. Instead of emphasizing a narrative of Jesus’ life as Mark does, Matthew uses the narrative elements in his Gospel as a setting for Jesus’ sermons.

Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

The end will be marked by Jesus’ second coming.

The Great Commission rests on the authority of Christ. Because He has authority over all, everyone needs to hear His gospel. While verses 18–20 are commonly known as the Great Commission, they should not be thought of as the first call for world evangelism. See Gen. 12:1–3 for God’s command that Abraham and his descendants should be a blessing to all nations. 

Making disciples involves three steps: going, baptizing, and teaching. It was assumed that when a person trusted in the Lord Jesus, he or she would be baptized. The word name is singular, although it is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together. This verse is another indication that God is one in three Persons. I am with you always demonstrates that Jesus is the true Immanuel, “God with us”.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah which says that the child’s name will be Immanuel  (meaning “God with us”). While in the original context of Isaiah, this is a prophecy about a child born during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, Matthew sees this prophecy as finding its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. Faithlife Bible.

This is a quotation from Isaiah 7:14. In this verse, the prophet Isaiah consoles King Ahaz of Judah. A coalition of two kings, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel, was opposing Ahaz. Isaiah tells Ahaz not to fear, for the plans of his enemies would not succeed. As a sign to Ahaz, a son would be born of a woman, and before that boy reached the age where he could tell right from wrong, the two kings would no longer be a threat to Ahaz. Some interpretations view Isaiah’s prophecy as directly prophetic of Jesus’ birth and nothing else. According to this view, only the miraculous birth of Jesus can be considered a sign. Since the Hebrew noun translated virgin can also mean “young woman,” some have suggested that Isaiah was prophesying about a son born during the lifetime of Ahaz—perhaps Isaiah’s son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Others have interpreted Isaiah’s prophecy as a prediction that a virgin, a contemporary of Isaiah, would marry and have a child. The sign to Ahaz was the sudden dissolution of Rezin and Pekah in the face of Assyria. Even though uncertainty surrounds how this prophecy was fulfilled during Isaiah’s lifetime, Matthew makes it clear that Isaiah’s words find their ultimate fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus, a sign to people of all ages that God was with them.

Hebrew 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This quotation is one of the most emphatic statements in the NT. In Greek it contains two double negatives, similar to saying in English, “I will never, ever, ever forsake you.” Jesus uses the same technique to express the certainty of eternal life for believers.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Describes the great hope in the book of Revelation and the whole Bible. Believers can be confident that in the end, they will be united with God. Dedicated to Him, belonging to Him. Emphasizes that He will remain and reside with them. Faithlife Bible.

In this verse, God is described as dwelling among His people. This recalls the Incarnation, the fact that Jesus “became flesh and dwelt among us” and is a fulfillment of the promise that God will dwell among His redeemed people. A virtually identical promise was given to Israel in Ezekiel. NKJ Bible,

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The name Yahweh, translated as Lord, is not explained until Exodus. But the readers of Genesis needed to know that the one who spoke to Abram is the same Yahweh who later would form the nation of Israel and who had created all things. To a world that believed in many gods, the name of the true and living God was significant. God had spoken the promise to Abram in Ur. Now that Abram’s father had died and been buried in Haran, Abram recalled Yahweh’s words and acted upon them. Abram means “Exalted Father.” Later it will be changed to Abraham, meaning “Father of Many.” Here are three levels of ever-increasing demands on the life of Abram and Sarai. The country was the region of his dwelling, the family was his clan, and his father’s house was where he had responsibility and leadership. Upon the death of Terah, Abram would have become the leader of the family group. God’s commands to Abram were intensely demanding because they caused him to leave his place, his clan, and his family in a world where such actions were simply not done. Only the landless and the fugitive would move about and leave their ancestral homes. But Abram was to leave everything.

There are seven elements in God’s promise to Abram in these two verses. The number seven suggests fullness and completeness. This celebrated passage is a prologue to the set of passages that together form the Abrahamic covenant, the irrevocable promise of God. (1) God commanded Abram to leave his home and family, promising to create a great nation through him—the people of God. This people would be the Hebrew nation. (2) God promised to bless Abram. The blessing of God is His smile, the warmth of His pleasure. The Lord’s promise of His personal blessing to Abram and Sarai included the benefits of a long and healthy life, plus wealth and importance. (3) That one’s name would live on long after one’s lifetime was a supreme honor. Those who brought shame on themselves would be forgotten. The name Abraham, by which we remember Abram, is one of the most honored of all names in history. (4) Abram was under divine orders to be a blessing to others. This he did whenever he told about the living God before other nations and peoples. (5) those who bless: Elements five and six form a poetic couplet. (6) Whereas God would bless the peoples who blessed Abram or his descendants, His curse came upon the individual who cursed Abram or his descendants. (7) all the families of the earth would be blessed through them, the Jewish people who are descended from Abram. Faithlife Bible.

Since the biblical genealogies indicate that Abram  is the 10th generation from Shem, the son of Noah, it has been 10 generations since Yahweh spoke directly to anyone according to the biblical account. Previously, God gave humanity a blessing and promise after the flood. Now, after the judgment of the Tower of Babel, God speaks a blessing to the world again through Abram. Abram is living in Haran in northwestern Mesopotamia. Yahweh’s command that Abram go is followed by three details: Abram is to leave his country or land, his birthplace or homeland, and his father’s household. Referring to the land of Canaan. This is the first of three promises to Abram. Yahweh’s second promise to Abram refers to a miraculous multiplication; Abram and his wife are simply two people and past childbearing age. This third promise of Yahweh to Abram is a promise of renown and reputation, but primarily relates to material blessing. God’s promise to bless and support Abram’s line shows a shift in His relationship with humanity. He now focuses on a chosen people. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 7:7-10

God gives all and God can take it all away. 

History has a way of repeating itself. We need to get back to loving what God loves…compassion, forgiveness and gratefulness. And hating what He hates…arrogance and pride.

Ezekiel 7:7-10

7 “But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;

And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him,

And stretched its branches toward him,

From the garden terrace where it had been planted,

That he might water it.

8 It was planted in good soil by many waters,

To bring forth branches, bear fruit,

And become a majestic vine.” ’

9 “Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Will it thrive?

Will he not pull up its roots,

Cut off its fruit,

And leave it to wither?

All of its spring leaves will wither,

And no great power or many people

Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.

10 Behold, it is planted,

Will it thrive?

Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?

It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew.” ’ ”

The second eagle is less grand and powerful, but it is still formidable. This eagle likely represents Pharaoh Psammetichus II of Egypt. When Psammetichus came to power in 595 bc, several nations in Syria-Palestine (including Moab, Ammon, Edom, Tyre, and Sidon) saw an opportunity to rebel against Babylon. In 591 bc, Psammetichus entered Palestine, challenging Babylonian power there.

 

Zedekiah was caught between political factions in Jerusalem. One group advocated continued loyalty to Babylon; the other promoted rebellion and alliance with Egypt. Eventually, Zedekiah was convinced to rebel with the promise of Egyptian support.

The rhetorical question directs the audience’s attention to the dangerous circumstances. Once Judah has rebelled, there will be little to stop Nebuchadnezzar from destroying it.  Judah is relatively weak compared to Babylon, and the resistance will not cost Babylon much in manpower and resources. Faithlife Bible.

This allegory is focused around a main point and is followed by an explanation to guide the reader. The great eagle is the king of Babylon; Lebanon symbolizes Canaan, of which Jerusalem is the major city; the highest branch is the king of Jerusalem and Judah; the topmost young twig refers to the nobility of Judah; the land of trade is Babylon; the seed is a member of the royal family; the fertile field is the land where this royal offspring would rule; the other great eagle is the king of Egypt; and the vine is the remnant and ruler left in Judah. This remnant failed to prosper because they made a treaty with the Egyptian pharaoh. As a result, even the remnant was slain and scattered by Babylon’s army. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 17:15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

Hosea 13:15 | Though he is fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come; the wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.

Luke 21:34-36

When you see wars and hear rumors of wars, earthquakes and natural disasters…look up and see God coming in a cloud of glory and in power.

Protect your faith by listening closely to the Spirit of God that dwells in you!

Luke 21:34–36

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The cares of this world are reminiscent of the seed sown among the thorns in the parable of the sower. There will be a universality of judgment by Him whose right it is to judge. Faithlife Bible.

Though the events of the end times may not come to pass for a long time, believers should continue to look for their arrival. The Day of Jesus’ return should not take us by surprise. We should live as if it is imminent. Jesus encouraged His disciples to be persistent in prayer and faith, looking for the day when the Son of Man exonerates the faithful in the judgment, so that they are able to stand before Him. NKJ Bible.

Psalm 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

And there is no one righteousness…no not one.

And the scribes and pharisees gnashed their teeth.

Mark 2:15–17

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some, such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead, Christ came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior. NKJ Bible.

In the Gospels, this term is generally used for people who are considered sinful by Jewish leaders. While certainly many of these people were involved in habits, lifestyles or occupations that led to unrighteous behavior, the label seems to be applied primarily to distinguish between those who were considered pious and those who were not. Jesus’ ministry was often focused on outsiders, including this group of people.

In the ancient world, dining together was a primary expression of identity and belonging. For tax collectors and sinners to seek out table fellowship with Jesus implies they were interested in the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed. Some scribes (teachers of the law) in Jesus’ day may have identified themselves with the agenda of the Pharisaic movement.

Jesus is neither affirming nor denying that the Pharisees are righteous. He is simply pointing out that the call to repentance and offering of forgiveness are for those who need it—sinners.

While the extent of their influence is unclear, the Pharisees apparently had some influence in political, religious and social spheres in Jewish Palestine. The Pharisees were known for their skill at interpreting the Law of Moses, and they held strict views on what was appropriate behavior for a righteous person. In Mark, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for holding to traditions rather than obeying God’s commands they condemn Jesus’ choice to eat with those they viewed as unrighteous and unworthy, but Jesus is not interested in their rules about who is worthy of His attention.

Matthew 9:13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Matthew 18:11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.