Tag: Devotion

Matthew Chapter 1 Simplified: Jesus’s Family Tree and Birth Story

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This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ who is a descendant of David, who in turn is a descendant of Abraham:
Abraham was Isaac’s Dad,
Isaac was Jacob’s Dad,
Jacob was Judah and his brothers’ Dad,
Judah and Tamar had Perez and Zerah,
Perez was Hezron’s Dad,
Hezron was Ram’s Dad,
Ram was Amminadab’s Dad,
Amminadab was Nahshon’s Dad,
Nahshon was Salmon’s Dad,
Salmon and Rahab had Boaz,
Boaz and Ruth had Obed,
Obed was Jesse’s Dad,
Jesse was King David’s Dad.
David and Bathsheba had Solomon,
Solomon was Rehoboam’s Dad,
Rehoboam was Abijah’s Dad,
Abijah was Asa’s Dad.
Asa was Jehoshaphat’s Dad,
Jehoshaphat was Joram’s Dad,
Joram was Uzziah’s Dad,
Uzziah was Jotham’s Dad,
Jotham was Ahaz’s Dad,
Ahaz was Hezekiah’s Dad,
Hezekiah was Manasseh’s Dad,
Manasseh was Amos’s Dad,
Amos was Josiah’s Dad,
Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers during the Babylonian exile.
After the Babylonian exile, Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel,
Shealtiel was Zerubbabel’s Dad,
Zerubbabel was Abiud’s Dad,
Abiud was Eliakim’s Dad,
Eliakim was Azor’s Dad,
Azor was Zadok’s Dad,
Zadok was Achim’s Dad,
Achim was Eliud’s Dad,
Eliud was Eleazer’s Dad,
Eleazer was Matthan’s Dad,
Matthan was Jacob’s Dad,
Jacob fathered Joseph, Mary’s husband; the Mary who gave birth to Jesus Christ.

In summary, there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David until the Babylonian exile, and 14 generations from the Babylonian exile until Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ was born: His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph. Before they got married, she was already pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her husband, being a good person and not wanting her to be publicly humiliated, decided to secretly break off the engagement.
While he was deciding this, an angel appeared to him in a dream and said “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t be afraid to marry Mary. She was made pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus. He will save his people from their sins.”
This all happened and was already explained by the Lord through the prophet who said, “The virgin will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us.”
Waking up, Joseph did what the angel told him to do and married Mary, but didn’t have sex with her until she had given birth to a son. He named the son Jesus.

Matthew Chapter 1 Summary

Matthew Chapter 1 provides an overview of Jesus Christ’s family line from Abraham, through King David, to Joseph, Mary’s husband. There are 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David until the Babylonian exile, and 14 generations from the exile to Christ. In addition, the chapter narrates the context surrounding Jesus’s birth. Mary, Jesus’s mother, was set to be married to Joseph when she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph planned to secretly end the engagement, but an angel appeared to him in a dream, assuring him that Mary’s pregnancy was God’s plan. He was told to name the child Jesus, who would save his people from their sins. When he woke up, Joseph followed the angel’s advice, marrying Mary and naming her son Jesus after his birth.

Matthew Chapter 1 Bible Study Questions and Answers

  1. Question: How can Joseph’s decision to stand by Mary inspire us to have faith during challenging times?
    Answer: Joseph’s decision shows us the importance of faith and obedience to God’s will, even when the circumstances are challenging or unclear. We can learn to trust in God’s plan, knowing that He works all things for good.
  2. Question: What significance does Jesus’s family line have on our understanding of His mission?
    Answer: Jesus’s family line, being a descendant of Abraham and King David, fulfils Old Testament prophecies and reveals Jesus as the rightful king, emphasising His plan to save humanity.
  3. Question: How can the angel’s reassurance to Joseph help us cope with fear and uncertainty?
    Answer: The angel’s reassurance is a reminder that God is always with us, guiding us, even in times of fear and uncertainty. We can take comfort in this guidance.
  4. Question: What does the name “Jesus” signify, and how does this relate to Christian living? Answer: The name “Jesus” means “God saves”. This points to our belief in Jesus as our Saviour, reminding us of God’s grace and forgiveness.
  5. Question: How does the word “Immanuel” (God is with us) apply to your daily life as a Christian?
    Answer: “Immanuel” assures us of God’s constant presence and guidance in our daily lives. It encourages us to trust in God’s plan and seek His guidance.

Matthew Chapter 1 Explained

Matthew Chapter 1 is an introduction to the life of Jesus Christ, tracing His family line back through notable people like King David and Abraham. This family line is important because it establishes Jesus as the rightful heir to David’s throne, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, and positions Him as the promised saviour.

This chapter further delves into the context surrounding Jesus’s birth. It depicts Mary’s miraculous pregnancy by the Holy Spirit while she was engaged to Joseph. Joseph, a good man, planned to quietly break off the engagement with Mary to avoid public shame. However, an angel shows up in a dream, assuring him that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit, a part of God’s divine plan. The angel instructed Joseph to name the child Jesus, which means ‘God saves’—a clear foreshadowing of Jesus’s plan to save humanity from their sins.

Joseph’s obedience to the divine message portrays his good nature and serves as an example for Christians to trust and obey God’s recommendations, even in perplexing situations. It also underlines the divine guidance that we can expect in our own lives.

Moreover, the fulfilment of the prophecy—”The virgin will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us”—underscores the central belief of Christianity that God became man in Jesus Christ. It assures Christians of God’s never ending presence in their lives and His willingness to intervene for their good.

In summary, Matthew Chapter 1 firmly establishes Jesus’s divine and royal family line, details His amazing, miraculous birth, and sets the stage for His mission of salvation. This chapter encourages us to trust in God’s plan, even in the face of uncertainty, and to be open to His divine intervention in our lives. It also underlines Jesus’s role as the Saviour, a theme that reoccurs throughout the Gospel of Matthew.

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Continue exploring Matthew 1

If you’d like to read Matthew 1 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 1 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 1 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 1 in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore Matthew in more depth, here are some commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew
Matthew (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)

The Central Focus of Life

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Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

What is life but a series of relationships?

When I was born, my first relationship was with my mother and father, and then my siblings, and then my extended family. After a few years, I started discovering relationships with people that were not blood relatives such as other families at church, classmates in pre-school, teachers at pre-school. And then there were classmates and teachers at school, and teammates at the soccer club, and more people coming and going at camps, birthday parties, hospitals, the shops etc. There were relationships for which I hope would go deeper than a stock-standard ‘relationship’. And there were relationships that turned from sweet to sour, and relationships that turned from sour to sweet. did I also mention the relationship I had with that irate customer who yelled at me when I wasn’t fast enough at the checkout? Or that girl I met at church one week who I thought was attractive and then never saw again? Or the relationship with the driver of the car I rear-ended? I went 20 years without knowing that my wife existed on the face of the earth, but we have a very, very close relationship now.

My life can be sorted, organised and defined by the relationships that I’ve had.  But it’s my relationship with God that is an important relationship that I struggle to visibly sort, organise and define. My relationship with God is the reason I make certain choices and why I feel guilty when I make other choices. I know that my relationship with God is the one relationship that is the only enduring one and yet I’m not consistent in letting that reflect out into my life.

I have learned over the years first-hand that possessions and achievements don’t give my life fulfillment, and that had made me realise that fulfillment must come from relationships. Since relationships with other humans can turn sweet and sour, start and end over the years, that means the only truly fulfilling relationship can be with God; a sweet relationship for which there is no end. But having a relationship with God is reflected through my relationship with others here on earth. If the choice is between achieving a thing or achieving a God centered relationship, I need to choose the relationship, as that is a relationship with God. If the choice is between doing something to meet my own needs or the needs of someone else, I need to choose the needs of someone else, as that is a relationship with God.

 

How to move head knowledge to the heart – 1 Thessalonians 2:13

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1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

My core struggle in life is searching for comfort. My head knowledge knows that the only source of true comfort is God, as everything else on this earth is fleeting and could be taken at any moment. Replace ‘comfort’ in those two sentences with ‘identity’, and that might be your story. Replace ‘comfort’ with ‘joy’ or ‘satisfaction’ and that might be your story.

Although we are all searching for different things in our lives, the answer, I believe, is always Jesus. It’s unfortunate, I think, for kids that have grown up in the church (like myself), that we have so much head knowledge about where to find what we are looking for to fill the deep, dark recesses of our heart, but we are unable to shift that head knowledge to our hearts. I have seen it time and time again; friends and family with incredible head knowledge about Jesus and God, but they fall away because they do nothing to move their head knowledge to their heart. So how do we move our head knowledge to our hearts?

I think the only way we can do it is through putting our complete reliance in God for everything. As in: My core struggle is searching for comfort. To rely on God for my comfort means that I should be willing to throw every other piece of comfort on Earth away and still feel comfort because I find my comfort in him who is not of this Earth. People with head knowledge often fall away because they see people around them with the same head knowledge, but without actions that show they have their reliance in God.

Putting our reliance in God for everything is a risk for us humans, but I think it is ultimately the most rewarding way to live life: If you find your joy, comfort, identity and satisfaction in God and rely on him for everything, what on Earth could possibly bring you down?

ASK YOURSELF: What am I searching for in life? How is that search visible in my day-to-day actions and activities?

Dear God, I need your help. I need you to be the center of my life for which everything else revolves around. Help me stay aware of your presence around me and you promptings to put my reliance on you. Amen.

The Wrath of God – Romans 1:18

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Romans 1:18

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness

The first reading of this verse raises two questions in my mind: What is the wrath of God? When is the wrath of God coming?

The wrath of God can’t sound pleasant to anyone who is an enemy of God. God is an all powerful deity, and the definition of ‘wrath’ is extreme anger. An extremely angry, all powerful deity is intense, and it certainly is intense when it comes to God. But the difference between the definition of wrath and God’s wrath is that God isn’t reacting out of a loss of emotional control. Instead, God has set up laws that guide us fallible humans into a stronger relationship with him. It is seen in the Old Testament that when the Mosaic laws weren’t followed, God would inflict his wrath upon people. At a few times in history, like at the city of Sodom (Genesis 19) or the threat to the city of Nineveh (Jonah), God’s wrath was supernatural and immediate. Paul believes that God’s wrath will once again come at the end of time at the ultimate judgement.

There are arguments made, however, that God’s wrath can be seen in the events that have taken place in history (even modern history), and events that are taking place now; that all the bad things that happen now are a result of God showing us a minuscule portion of his wrath that is to come on the day of judgement.

That’s a pretty sobering thought for almost everyone; the bad things and situations that happen to us on earth as a result of sin are but a blip of the suffering to come. But it also offer us hope that because of the Gospel, we have the opportunity to experience God’s grace and avoid his wrath and have an ever lasting relationship with him!

ASK YOURSELF: What difficulties do you have in your life? What difficulties do your friends and family have in their lives? What are you willing to do to help them see that a relationship with the one, true God will change their lives forever?

Dear God, I pray for the people in the world that are struggling to recognize you as a just God; capable of wrath but also of grace. Bring Christians across their path and open their eyes to see your love for them. Amen.

The Revelation – Romans 1:17

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Romans 1:17

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

This verse is a daunting one to study, as it contains a lot of theological concepts that are difficult to summarize in a 300-500 word blog post. As you may have noticed in the time jump between the blog post on v.16 and the blog post here, writing and finishing my exploration of v.17 has taken quite some time.

The ‘righteousness of God’ is spoken of in this verse. This term is found infrequently in the letter to the Romans but, according to Moo (1990) its importance outweighs its frequency, as it is a term that was only written by Paul in this letter. The real difficulty in this verse is interpreting what Paul means when he writes ‘the righteousness of God’. There seems to be many diverse interpretations for what ‘the righteousness of God’ is referring to, and each commentary and literature takes slightly different views on the topic. Once again, I refer to Moo, who concludes that ‘righteousness of God’ refers to the activity of God saving his people.

With this in mind, the verse could be paraphrased:
‘For in the gospel, God’s act of saving his people is revealed-a justification that by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The quote at the end of the verse is from Habakkuk:

Habakkuk 2:4

“See, the enemy is puffed up;
    his desires are not upright—
    but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness—

To put this verse into context, Habakkuk has been complaining to God about how Israel is going astray, and that the Babylonians are coming and they’re even worse. Habakkuk 2:4 is part of the Lord’s response to the author’s complaint about Babylon, and God is saying that those that are righteous can have faith that God will eventually overcome all the difficulties the righteous person is facing. Paul, however, uses the verse in Romans to say that in order to become righteous, you need to have faith. The connection between the meaning behind the source and the quote is that having faith in God means putting our sole trust in him, not our own abilities.

ASK YOURSELF: Do I have faith that God holds my life in my hands? Is my faith one that would be willing to drop everything I hold dear to follow the will of God?

Dear God, please strengthen my faith. Open my eyes to see that you have been faithful to me in my life. I pray for my family and friends that they will see in my a life that is been lived in faith. Amen.

The Distractions – Romans 8:5

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Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Procrastination and distraction made me take a good dozen hours longer to finish and assignment than what was required. The easy appeal of watching a movie, reading a book, playing a game or anything that required less brain power than researching and writing down words into the report. I’ve seen studies that show genetic influences on the propensity to procrastinate, so I could just blame my ancestors. But whether genetics plays a part or not, I know I am highly prone to distractions.

The reason I haven’t written a blog article in over a month is because of distraction. The reason I haven’t done any solid bible reading or meditating in God’s word it because of distraction. I can assure you that I have been praying; not as regularly and only for my own salvation with just a peppering of prayers for others. Everyday I am aware of my distraction when I dismiss the ‘Bible Study’ reminder in my calendar.

I just wrote and deleted ‘My distraction was a genuine distraction’, but that possibly shows how far I’ve gone from knowing that nothing is a worthy distraction from God. Being in constant contact with God through bible reading, prayer and loving others is not just good to do because God alone is worthy of our time and energy, but it is also good for us. Focusing on God will help us when we are faced with tough decisions; God can bring us everlasting comfort when those tough decision and/or circumstances around us cause us distress.

Romans 8:5 is an oft mentioned verse, probably because it is so readily applicable to our fleshy, human minds. The context is Paul is trying to teach the Jews in Rome that just walking and living according to the old laws isn’t going to be helpful anymore for their salvation; they need to ‘walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit’ (Rom. 8:4). I feel, as a Christian, I often times see salvation as a law, not a personal relationship; ‘I’ve been saved. I’m all good now. I can focus on my worldly things, and I’ll get back to God when it’s convenient to me’. And being saved does mean I’m ‘all good now’. I know I’m saved no matter what I do, but the whole point of being saved is to be in a relationship with God.

ASK YOURSELF: What are your distractions? What’s keeping you from relaxing into the knowledge that you are a child of God? What can you do to your day’s schedule to allow you to have time along in the scripture and in prayer.

Dear God, please give me strength. Give me a soft heart and open eyes to see where my life is pursuing worldly comforts and achievements rather than looking to serve you through loving others. You are a gracious God.

Should Christians charge money for Christian Resources?

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Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

I have always had this conviction that Christians should never charge money for Christian resources. I have had this conviction since I was a young teenager, because it is what makes sense to me: Christians have freely received grace and mercy that we don’t deserve from God, but then we charge others to learn about this amazing free gift by charging for books, DVDs, recordings or other resources. Producing resources costs money (books need to be printed, websites need to be paid for), and I’m not suggesting a Christian author should ever withhold payment from a book printer or anything like that. I think the perfect model for Christian resources is that people get behind gospel-centered projects and donate money to allow that resource to be free. Thanks to the internet, this is happening. Websites like The Bible Project and Desiring God (among others I’m sure) release their resources completely free. Desiring God even has free downloadable versions of John Piper’s print books. We need to support these projects that are doing what they do in faith that God will provide for them through the support of other Christians.

Giving away resources which may have cost significant time and money to produce takes a big leaps of faith if you don’t recognize what is at stake for those consuming the resources. Imagine the message it would send to the world for the unsaved to see that Christians care so much about them that they’re willing to potentially sacrifice their worldly incomes for the purpose of reaching out.

In addition, we need to support our local churches so that when they run events, they can do it without needing to charge door prices or ticket prices. Encourage our Pastors that the congregation believes in what they do by fronting up money or time or your insight to enable the Church to reach further into the community, and share the amazing message of God’s saving grace.

Not ashamed of the gospel – Romans 1:16

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Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

A man ashamed of the gospel would not have been able to endure the hardships Paul went through (imprisonment, beatings and shipwrecks) and come out the other end with a continual passion for reaching the lost with the gospel. Paul was also facing social hardships, in that he had opposition of his teaching that God is for both Jews and Gentiles.

Salvation comes to everyone who believes. Salvation comes to everyone who put their faith and trust in Jesus. Having faith is not a work we do, but a response to God offering grace to our shameful, sinful lives. This salvation, Paul writes, goes first to the Jew then to the Gentile. What Paul means by this is the Jews still have ‘special relevance’ (Moo 1991) to the gospel. The promises that are fulfilled through the gospel were first given to Israel in the holy scriptures.

ASK YOURSELF: Am I ashamed of the gospel? What aspects of the gospel do I not understand the most that prevent me from wanting to share the good news with everyone I meet?

Dear God, please give me courage. Please give me wisdom. Thank you for providing opportunities for me to show love to others through my actions and the sharing of the gospel. May your name be praised in all the choices I make and everything I do. Amen.

Being Eager to Share the Gospel – Romans 1:15

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Romans 1:15

That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

Paul is eager to go to Rome and preach the gospel because he is obligated to the Greeks and non-Greeks, wise and foolish to do so (v.14). As Bower (1987) comments, the preaching of the gospel is not just the initial preaching mission, but the whole sequence of activities resulting in settled churches.

Paul’s eagerness comes from his God-given commission to preach to the Gentiles. Where does our eagerness come from to reach the lost? The basic answer is our eagerness comes because we are also called, from God, to reach and love the lost with a love that will point them towards God (John 15:12). I am aware of the reality of my own comfort sitting behind this desk, writing this blog post in a safe, non-threatening environment, rather than being on the forefront of ministry in a foreign location, or even just on the streets of my own city. I think the eagerness comes from the wisdom and knowledge of what’s at stake if we don’t fulfill what God is asking of us; people’s salvation.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We need to be praying for all Christians everywhere, that they will find their comfort and security in God, and receive their boldness from him to reach their lost friends and family, letting them know that God is eager to have a relationship with them.

ASK YOURSELF: What’s holding you back from being eager to reach the lost? What resources are there to help you gather the wisdom and courage for this vital mission?

Dear God, grant me wisdom. Grant me patience and an eagerness to evangelise in your name. I’m sorry for all the times I missed you placing me in front of people who desperately need you. Open my eyes for the next opportunity to share my story and all you’ve done for me. Amen. 

Wise and the Foolish – Romans 1:14

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Romans 1:14

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

We will break this verse into three parts for exploration:

1. Why is Paul ‘obligated’?

Paul is not obligated directly to any human, but he is obligated to God (as he is set apart for the Gospel in v.1), and therefore he is obligated, through God to preach the Christian gospel.

2. Who are Greeks and non-Greeks?

It is thought (Moo, 1991) that ‘Greeks and non-Greeks’ refers to all of Gentile humanity, with the exceptions being the Jews. The original translation for ‘non-Greek’ is barbarian, which was seen, linguistically, to designate a lower class of people. Paul, here, is essentially saying ‘no matter the class or Gentile culture’. Remember also that Paul in v.13 is talking about his work among other Gentiles.

3. Who are the wise and the foolish?

The wise and the foolish is another way in which Paul is saying he is preaching to all Gentiles, not just those the of the ‘intellectual’, wealthy classes, but also those of the lower classes (whom the Greeks considered Barbarians to be)

It’s amazing that the gospel of Christ isn’t just for one class even today, as some might have you believe. The message that the best is yet to come is joyful music for the poor who don’t have anything on this earth to look forward. The message is harder to take for people in developed nations with earthly comforts, where they feel they have the best they can get now. But the message is just a relevant for them as they search for meaning and purpose here on earth. Our purpose is to bring glory to God and further his kingdom through the spreading of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

ASK YOURSELF: Do you find yourself avoiding a class or group of people because it might be ‘uncomfortable’ to interact with them? How do you think Jesus would act around the same people?

Dear God, please open my eyes to those around me that need you; whether they’re rich or poor, of my culture or foreign. Give me strength to love on those around me, even when they don’t love in return. Amen.