Author: SFJ Bible

Matthew 18

Who Is the Greatest?

18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,¹ it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Temptations to Sin

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin!² For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell³ of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.⁴ 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my⁵ Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed⁶ in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.⁷ 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.⁸ 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant⁹ fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,¹⁰ and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers,¹¹ until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Footnotes

[1] 18:6 Greek causes . . . to stumble; also verses 8, 9

[2] 18:7 Greek stumbling blocks

[3] 18:9 Greek Gehenna

[4] 18:10 Some manuscripts add verse 11: For the Son of Man came to save the lost

[5] 18:14 Some manuscripts your

[6] 18:18 Or shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed

[7] 18:23 Or bondservants; also verses 28, 31

[8] 18:24 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer

[9] 18:26 Or bondservant; also verses 27, 28, 29, 32, 33

[10] 18:28 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer

[11] 18:34 Greek torturers

(ESV)

Matthew 17

The Transfiguration

17:1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,¹ with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon,² and it³ came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.⁴ 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”⁵

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

22 As they were gathering⁶ in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.⁷ Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Footnotes

[1] 17:5 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved

[2] 17:18 Greek it

[3] 17:18 Greek the demon

[4] 17:18 Greek from that hour

[5] 17:20 Some manuscripts insert verse 21: But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting

[6] 17:22 Some manuscripts remained

[7] 17:27 Greek stater, a silver coin worth four drachmas or approximately one shekel

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Matthew 12-16 (4.6.19)

Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into Matthew 16.

Read Matthew 16:13-28.

In Matthew 16:13, we read, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi.” Now, often the Bible’s authors give us location references, but this one is particularly interesting. The setting Jesus chooses for this crucial conversation is surely not a mistake or happenstance: the district of Caesarea Philippi, which lies about 25 miles north-east of the Sea of Galilee.

In Jesus’ day, the hills of the Caesarea Philippi area were scattered with temples of ancient Syrian Baal worship. As many as 14 such temples would have littered the landscape. And not only were the Syrian gods worshiped there, but there was also a cavern nearby that was said to have been the birthplace of the Greek god Pan—the “god” of nature. Because of this, Caesarea Philippi was originally called “Panias.” In addition, another huge temple would have stood there in Jesus’ day, built out of white marble by Herod the Great and dedicated to the worship of Augustus Caesar.

So Jesus is standing in a place that was literally crowded with temples dedicated to the worship of other gods and rulers, and He asks His students, “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus first warms them up with a non-threatening, general question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The popular opinion of Jesus was that He was unique but still just another man with a certain set of skills.

Notice something else: This all-important conversation between Jesus and His disciples about who He is doesn’t happen for two and a half years into Jesus’ earthly ministry. Talk about the elephant in the room. These guys have spent years together day and night, witnessing unimaginable things, and finally Jesus is going to pick this spot in the road and ask, “So, have you guys figured it out yet? Do you know WHO I AM?”

In the original Greek, this verse emphasizes the word “you.” Jesus is cutting right to the chase. There is no safe speculation here, no room for generalities, and no hiding behind what other people are saying about Him. This is the most direct and personal question you will ever be asked.

“Who do YOU say I am?” Now, what is so important about this single question is the fact that it is still, to this very day,

THE most important question you and I will ever answer! Who is Jesus Christ to you? We could quickly agree that we, too, are surrounded by figurative towering temples of things we worship—things we idolize, things we hope will give us status, healing, help, enjoyment, and purpose. Things like our careers, our family, our physical looks and health, our bank account, our place of residence, and our entertainment. Realize Jesus is not just asking you for head knowledge here. He is asking us here today, “Who am I to you—amongst all this?

Now if Jesus was just a wise teacher or prophet, as many still today say He was, it might not matter all that much who Jesus is to you. But if Jesus really is the Messiah—really is God the Son in flesh—then we better dig in, because our answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” is truly everything!

Stop and think about it: If God truly came here, lived, died, and rose again, then what that set of most historic events means to you and me is EVERYTHING!

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

Christ is a title given Jesus that means an anointed royal figure. Christ is also translated in the Hebrew as the Messiah—the redeemer. This title describes a man foretold for all of Jewish history who would come reconcile God’s people to Him. So what Peter is saying here is Jesus is not just a man with a special set of skills. Peter says, “Jesus is the awaited King! Not just a king; He is the King. He is the King to end all kings.”

To the 1st century Jew, the Messiah is the one they have been awaiting for generations. He is the one who is going to come and re-establish the throne of David. So as Peter is saying this, here are the implications: “Jesus is the one who is going to overthrow Rome and establish a throne. And He is going to rule and set all that is wrong with society right. The time of Israel is finally here.  You are that KING!”

Look with me for a quick moment at one of the Bibles’ best definitions of who Jesus is:

Colossians 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Who is Jesus Christ? He is the one who changes everything! Everything in your life!  Every view, every relationship, every crossroad. When you truly understand who Jesus truly is, He re-orders everything in your life so that He is King—not of the local government—but of your entire life. To know Jesus Christ is to know the one who has supremacy over everything in your life.

Who is Jesus Christ to you?

Let me be specific and ask this: Do you have Jesus in a box? Is He only a part of your life, and therefore He only affects parts of your life? Is He just a prophet who is wise and gives you wisdom for living? Is He just a famous baby born with lots of paparazzi or a famous martyr who you like to semi-annually remember by attending religious services? Is He just a famous teacher who you like to learn from on occasion by studying His best-selling book? Is He just a skilled miracle worker who you call out to once in a while to give you a new beginning?

Or is He God? Is He your greatest treasure, your deepest love, the one you live for and worship? If this is true, it means everything about your life centers around Him! Is Jesus just a “part” of your life; as in, He is over here neatly contained in this or that area of your life?

If you are honest, maybe …

• He is a few select prayers in your day (dinner and bedtime)
• He is the Sunday morning slot on your calendar
• He is a monthly check you write out of your bank account
• He is the one you turn to if you are in trouble

Is He just a “part” of your life, or is He your LIFE? Does He literally change everything about your life?

If you are struggling with honestly proclaiming that Jesus is indeed your everything, then what we need more than anything is to understand the good news about what Jesus came to do.

What did Jesus come to do? 1. Die on Friday

Why did Jesus have to suffer and die? 1 Corinthians 15:3 says, “Christ died for our sins.” Theologians call this the atonement. Atonement is what was made for us at the cross of Jesus. Atonement is where God reconciled us to Himself in Christ, making us one with Him again.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Luther calls this “the great exchange.” He exchanges my death for His life, my sin for His righteousness, my condemnation for His salvation, my failure for His success, my defeat for His victory.

There is nothing more important than the death of Jesus. It is literally the crux of human history and the crux of our faith. Without Jesus’ death, there is no forgiveness of sin.

What did Jesus come to do? 2. Rise on Sunday

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

Jesus is ALIVE! He is well! He is eternal! He is victorious, and His Spirit has been poured out to all who believe.

How should we respond to Jesus?

If Jesus is the means to another end, then you never really have Jesus. But if Jesus is your end and everything else pales in comparison to Him, then you absolutely have Him.

For those who are ransomed by Christ—forgiven and pardoned from their sin—we follow Jesus, even though it means self-denial and cross-bearing. If you trust and treasure Jesus enough to follow Him even when it is costly to you, it is a sign you truly love Jesus for Jesus and not just for what He gives you.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

The opposite of self-denial is the idol of self-gratification, and the opposite of cross-bearing is the idol of self-preservation.

Jesus says, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” In other words, if you gain the whole world by valuing it above Jesus—by being prouder of your temporary stuff or status than Jesus—it won’t be able to save you in the end.

For many this is exactly what we still do. We deny God and set out to make our own way to joy and success. The problem is when you finally lose your family or your job or your stuff (and you will), you will literally feel dead. People who have denied God in the end really like “the stuff” of God but not God. Jesus is saying, “This will not equal any lasting joy or satisfaction. It only equals inevitable decay and death.”

Again I ask, who is Jesus to you?

If He is the means to an end, then you don’t love Jesus. You love only what He gives you. Now for those who are quick to say, “No, that’s not how I feel about Jesus,” realize that salvation is the means to an end! For many Christians, they love Jesus in the end only because of what He gives them: salvation, a ticket to heaven. They don’t love Jesus for Jesus. He becomes a gate keeper to an anticipated destination. But realize, you won’t love heaven if you don’t truly love Jesus, because Jesus is what heaven is all about.

If Jesus is just a man with special skills, then you are still pursuing your own self-made joy and will try to be your own functional savior. But if Jesus is the Lord of your life, if Jesus is King—if He is your King—then you don’t come to Him with your ideas of what should transpire. Instead, you lay down your agenda, your will, your life at His feet and say, “Command me.”

If Jesus is the joy of your heart, the greatest affection of your love, the one who defines your value and gives you your identity, the one you live for and worship, then Jesus is not just another king on a throne; He is your King, whom you trust with everything and love more than anything.  If this is who Jesus is to you, then you will come to Him—laying down your life out of a privilege to serve Him, a joy to pursue His will, and a longing to worship Him above all else.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Who is Jesus to you?

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

Matthew 16

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

16:1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them,¹ “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock² I will build my church, and the gates of hell³ shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed⁴ in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 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. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!⁵ This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance⁶ to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life⁷ will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Footnotes

[1] 16:2 Some manuscripts omit the following words to the end of verse 3

[2] 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar

[3] 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades

[4] 16:19 Or shall have been bound . . . shall have been loosed

[5] 16:22 Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”

[6] 16:23 Greek stumbling block

[7] 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26

(ESV)

Matthew 15

Traditions and Commandments

15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”¹ 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word² of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8   “‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me;
9   in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.³ And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?⁴ 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.⁵

Jesus Heals Many

29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Footnotes

[1] 15:5 Or is an offering

[2] 15:6 Some manuscripts law

[3] 15:14 Some manuscripts add of the blind

[4] 15:17 Greek is expelled into the latrine

[5] 15:28 Greek from that hour

(ESV)