Jesus has been in the northern region of Galilee since chapter four. He was born in Bethlehem of Judea, but under threat of murder, His parents fled to Egypt and…
Why was Jesus able to love people so abundantly and consistently throughout His ministry on earth? The disciples ignored Him, told Him what to do, argued over who was the…
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This was the 16th Century version of the church website or…
The phrase “church discipline” conjures up ideas of trials and inquisitions, of people with big hats and big agendas about how to exclude others from the church. But Jesus delivers…
Matthew’s Gospel has five discourses given by Jesus that each conclude “when Jesus finished speaking”: the Sermon on the Mount, the Missionary Discourse, the Discourse on Parables, the Discourse on…
“Faith” is a word used so often by Christians that we easily forget its purpose and power. It’s not nebulous, nor does it make you vaguely a “person of faith.”…
Jesus has turned toward the cross. “From that time”, after Peter’s great confession, “Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things…
Peter makes the great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Matt. 16:16). Christ will build His church on the rock and the gates of Hades don’t…
At this point in Matthew’s gospel, the disciples are beginning to understand who Jesus is. Peter’s great confession names Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. But…
We tend to think of truth and love as opposites, or at least in tension with one another. Truth is cold, hard, and probably mean—to be truly honest is to…