Matthew 28 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence     It is fitting that Matthew would end his gospel with Christ’s command to his disciples to go out and share that gospel message with others.  But, technically, the word “go” is not a command in this passage, although most translations read that way.  Translated correctly, v.19 would read more like “As you are going, make disciples of all nations…baptizing them (and) teaching them all that I have commanded you.” …

Matthew 27 by David Groendyk One of the major themes in this chapter is injustice. We can categorically state that there has never been a bigger or crueler injustice than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One of the songs we’ve been singing (or recommending to sing) in our Holy Week services is “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery”. In that song there’s a line: “Come behold the wondrous mystery—slain by death the God of life.” Think…

Matthew 25 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence This chapter continues with the same theme as chapter twenty-four in light of the second coming of Christ, and the Parable of the Ten Virgins is given by Jesus to exhort his disciples to continue watching and eagerly anticipating Christ’s imminent return. In the parable, a man and a woman are about to be married, but it is not certain that the date has been fixed; at least the…

Matthew 24 by David Groendyk I think it’s fair to say that Matthew 24 is a confusing chapter. Jesus is weaving together in one sermon different facets of what the world will look like as his second coming draws nearer. Many scholars, theologians, and pastors have spent lots of energy and spilled lots of ink debating some of the difficulties of this chapter. I’ll do my best to give you all some clarity in this…

Matthew 23 by Pastor Mark Hudson Remember to read the passage and reflect and make your observations on the text first. At the end of the gospels, the tension is rising. Jesus cleanses the temple in Matt 21:12. In verses 23 the following, the chief priests and elders directly challenge Jesus authority and because Jesus sees through their hypocrisy, He exposes them and refuses to answer their question. His parables are directed to them and…

Matthew 22 Devotional By Pastor Lawrence Bowlin In our text this morning in vv.23-33 Jesus is questioned by the Sadducees concerning the resurrection of the dead. One of the prominent differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees was this particular doctrine. Although the Pharisees were legalistic in their application of scripture, they had a very high regard for the fundamentals of Biblical doctrine and were firm believers in the spiritual realm. The Sadducees, on the…

Matthew 19 by David Groendyk The COVID-19 pandemic, I believe, is exposing many ways in which both America and the rest of the world generally live out of accord with biblical principles. Over the past week, I’ve been sharing some ways with TYM how Christians have the opportunity to respond as witnesses to Christ through this pandemic. One of these ways we’ve seen America exposed is that we are a highly individualistic culture. Now, we…

Matthew 15 by David Groendyk God is sovereign over all things, including the placement of each chapter in Scripture. Matthew 15 is one of those chapters that looks like a preacher’s dream during a pandemic. Someone being rebuked for not washing their hands? It seems all too appropriate. However, appearances can be deceiving, and in reality nobody has germs on their mind. The point of Jesus’s interaction with the Pharisees (vv. 1–20) is that outward…

Matthew 13 by David Groendyk Most Christians know the Sermon on the Mount, but did you know there are actually five sermons, or “discourses”, in Matthew?  The Sermon on the Mount is the first, then chapters 10, 13, 18, and 24–25 are the others. Chapters 10 and 13 explain what our mission looks like for us as Christians spreading the gospel. Chapter 10 focused on equipping as people to face persecution, but chapter 13 tells…

Matthew 12 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence In this chapter Matthew reveals how the people of Israel oppose Jesus’ teachings and his good works on numerous fronts but particularly in regard to the matter of the Sabbath as a sign from God.  In the beginning, in Genesis 2:2 after God had created the world and everything in it within the space of six days, He rested on the seventh day, blessed it and made it holy…

by David Groendyk After Jesus finishes instructing his disciples and sending them out, he spends some time here in chapter 11 explaining just how great of an era these people are living in. He’s prompted by an envoy sent from John the Baptist who is now in jail. And essentially the question from John is, “Are you really the Christ?” This seems shocking! Wasn’t John one of Jesus’ biggest advocates? Was he straying from the…

by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin In this chapter, Jesus charges the twelve apostles to go out among the lost sheep of the House of Israel to preach ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ with accompanying signs and wonders in order to confirm their message.  He then exhorts them to dedicate their lives to this task that they would not to be distracted by the things of the world, before warning them of the persecution they…

by David Groendyk I’ll confess, sometimes it’s hard for me to read the Gospels. Not because they’re not gospel-centered or soul-refreshing or Christ-exalting, but because when I get to passages like Matthew 8 and 9, it’s hard to see a rhyme or reason for why these handful of stories are grouped the way they are. In my ESV Bible, I’ve got seven different headers in Matthew 9 alone. My control-seeking and organized-obsessed brain wants to…

by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin The commonality between many of the passages in this chapter is that of physical healing.  First, Jesus heals a leper, then he heals the paralyzed servant of a centurion.  Later that day he heals Peter’s mother-in-law who is sick with a fever, and then that night he heals all who are sick and oppressed by demons.  In v.17, Matthew tells us that he did all these things “to fulfill what was…

“Your Good Father” by David Groendyk Every good sermon needs a strong conclusion. The preacher needs to drive home his point and impress upon his audience a lasting thought. Jesus’s sermon on the mount in Matthew 5–7 is no exception. This sermon is perhaps the most famous sermon in all of Christianity, and Jesus concludes it with the most important exhortation and most important warning he could. It would be tempting, after listening to or…

Anxiety and Prayer by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin It’s hard to believe that the whole world might be anxious at the same time, but it certainly seems to be.  Every news channel from around the world is continuing to update us on the number of people with the virus and how many have died from it, and every day we are hearing of new measures taken by our governments that limit our freedoms as individuals and…

by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin The first thing that stuck out to me in this chapter, in light of our current circumstances, is verse seven, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”  In times like these it is easy to be a hoarder of goods and to turn a blind eye to a neighbor in need.  But this is an opportunity for the mercy of Christ to be put on display through pity and…