Matthew 16:21

April 18, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.‭‭” (Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬-‭22‬)

Peter is an example of how people can miss the big picture. Repeatedly. Here, Peter is understandably alarmed by the news of Jesus’ impending abuse and death. His protective response is understandable. Particularly since this is the first time he has heard about it from the mouth of Jesus.

However, the Old Testament had already spoken of the Messiah’s abuse and death: See, for example, the collision between the Son of woman and the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), his piercing (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10), being cut off (Daniel 9:26), and bearing sins as a suffering servant (Isaiah 53).

This is a reminder that the Old Testament is the foundation for the New Testament. To unhitch from the Old Testament as if it has no bearing on or connection to the New Testament is wrong-headed. And this particular story provides an example of the value of the Old Testament. Assuming he would have responded appropriately, had Peter been more aware of what the Old Testament says about the Messiah, he would not have been rebuked here or in the Garden of Gethsemane when he pulled out his sword to protect Jesus from the soldiers.

Let’s do an unrealistic thought experiment. Imagine if Peter had succeeded and Jesus had simply grown old and died of natural causes. Where would we be today? Trapped under the guilt of sin! Jesus had to die because his sin-bearing death was the Father’s plan to redeem the world.

The somber atmosphere on Good Friday is not inappropriate, but is often misdirected. The somber atmosphere should reflect our sorrow over our sin, which is the reason for the cross. We should rejoice at God’s gracious plan of redemption and Jesus’ obedient death on the cross (Philippians 2:8) on our behalf. Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis added) affirms this approach: “… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Similarly, the joy that is set before us is the knowledge that “Sunday’s coming!” and all that means for our future in eternity.

Father, help me not to let good intentions lead me into beliefs or actions that work against your plan. Please help me to see and accept the big picture of your plan. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, God's Word, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, Prophecy, resurrection Tagged With:

Matthew 15:2-3

April 17, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.’ He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?’” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭2‬-‭3‬)

This is an interesting interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees.
The handwashing mentioned here is not about personal hygiene; it is about ritual purity. The tradition of the elders was a set of prescribed practices that had developed over time, which the Pharisees believed to be binding on all Jews.

The topic of this discussion was ritual handwashing, which originated as a priestly requirement in Exodus 30. From there, the elders used a series of logical steps to arrive at the expectation that all good Jews would wash their hands before eating.

The idea of washing hands before eating was not evil. But as part of a package of beliefs developed logically rather than from revelation, that was weaponized against those who didn’t follow all the package’s details, was wrong. (This is not an issue isolated to Jews!)

Because this practice was part of a larger set of rules, Jesus pivoted to one of the more problematic rules to demonstrate the fault in their system. Eventually, Jesus addressed the heart of the matter, which is the heart.

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭19‬-‭20‬)

We may be able to follow man-made rules to give the impression that we are holy. But the real test is what comes out of our hearts.

Father, help me to be more aware of my heart affections, and to repent when they are for unrighteousness. Please help me grow in holy desires. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, Judaica, Life in Christ, Matthew Tagged With:

Matthew 13:23

April 15, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭23‬)

Chapter 13 is packed with parables, and this is the conclusion of the parable of the sower. In summary, Jesus used an understandable farming analogy to teach his disciples some important things about discipleship and the kingdom of heaven. The elements of the story are the sower, the seed, and the four soil types: the hard path, rocky ground, thorny ground, and good soil.

He explained that the seed represents his word and the four soil types to illustrate receptivity to the word. The good soil is the focus of our verse and represents those who receive and understand God‘s word.

What stands out to me is the varied outcome. He who receives the word bears fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. When I read this, I tend to think that one hundred is better than sixty, and sixty is better than thirty. However, Jesus’ focus isn’t on quantity. His focus is on bearing lasting fruit versus no fruit or fruit that is apparent but fades away.

I need to be careful that I am not measuring myself against others who may appear to bear more fruit or less fruit than I do. I must focus on bearing fruit. Only God can truly measure the fruit. I also must be careful not to reduce my fruit to one thing. Because in our life experience, a seed can bear only one type of fruit, we tend to understand this analogy through that lens. In some circles, soulwinning is THE fruit. In other circles, discipleship is THE fruit. Still, in other circles, the measured fruit is church attendance, spiritual gifts, or something else. All of these are good fruit, but the Christian life is more holistic, and the Word is a different kind of seed. It is a supernatural seed that prepares us for godliness. Here is what Paul wrote to Timothy:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
‭‭(2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬)

Because God’s word is broad in its content, we should not isolate our fruit inspection to one fruit. Rather, we should look more broadly at how we bear fruit in every area that God’s word addresses. As I read and meditate on God’s word, I can’t dismiss the command to evangelize the lost because my fruit/interest/gift is small group discipleship. Likewise, I can’t dismiss discipleship because my fruit/interest/gift is evangelism. I need to bear fruit related to the seed that is sown. If I spend time in God’s word, I will have a variety of seeds cast my way. The question is: Is my heart good soil?

Father, please help me to bear good fruit in all areas of my life. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, Parables Tagged With:

Matthew 7:24-27

April 9, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬)

These verses may evoke childhood memories for some. In your memory you may hear children’s voices singing, “The wise man built his house upon the rock.” And you may see in your mind’s eye, kids motioning the rains coming down and the floods coming up with their hands. But these words are more than a Sunday school song for kids. Adults need to heed them, too. (See this video if none of this is familiar.)

Jesus closed his Sermon on the Mount with this warning to be prepared for the hardships of life (the rains) that will surely come. The positioning of this warning should help us see its value.

Here, Jesus is imploring his audience to build their lives on him (He is the rock). And how would one do that? The quick answer is to embrace the teachings that preceded this closing. The payoff is great. Who wouldn’t want their life and faith to hold up through the storms of life? I don’t think anyone would desire that their own lives fall apart. But a core element in this sermon is discerning the heart. So, while no one would desire that their own life fall apart, their hearts might have a greater desire for something that will inevitably destroy their lives. In other words, they will build their house on sand. Building on the sand is choosing to follow any other voice than Jesus.

We have to be careful here. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬) The choice isn’t a religious voice versus a non-religious voice. It is Jesus versus every other voice.

This challenge of discernment is for believer and unbeliever alike. Christians can foolishly choose paths that lead to destruction. There are a lot of voices beckoning us down their particular path. WARNING: Not all paths lead to good places. Jesus’ sermon (Matthew 5-7) provides us tremendous guidance on how to build our house on the rock.

Father, I need wisdom and purity of heart. Please help me grow in both so that I may desire Jesus more than anything else in this world. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, discipleship, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Matthew 5:10-11

April 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬)

This is another Bible passage that doesn’t feel right. Who wants to be persecuted? Who wants to be reviled and have all kinds of evil uttered against them? Who would sign up for those things?

Yet, Jesus said those who experience those things because of their faithfulness to him are blessed. Interestingly, the Chicago Bulls recently released a recently acquired first-round draft pick because he was critical of the NBA’s promotion of Pride Month. Jaden Ivey’s complaint? He says the league is promoting unrighteousness. And he is correct!

Since his release, he has remained firm that all the fame and money are nothing compared to Christ. As one might imagine, the pressure against him has grown. Yet, he remains steadfast in his position. He is a contemporary example of what Jesus is talking about.

Father, please help me to be so satisfied with you that the affirmation of this world is meaningless in comparison. Amen.

Filed Under: courage, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Faith, fear, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:
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