God – Page 7 – Not My Life

Matthew Chapter 21 Simplified: Jesus enters Jerusalem and annoys the priests and teachers

Published on March 2021July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

On their way to Jerusalem, they arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olivet. Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of them. “Go into the village there and you’ll find a donkey tied up. It will have its foal with her. Untie them both a bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are up to, tell them their Lord needs the animals. The person will immediately let you take the animals.”

This all happened to make what the prophet said come true: “Tell the daughter of Zion that your King is coming, and he is gentle and riding on a donkey and on a foal, the offspring of a working animal.”

The disciples did what Jesus told them to do. They brought the donkey and the foal back. They saddled them with cloaks and Jesus sat on them. A big crowd laid their coats on the road. Others cut down branches and laid them on the road.

The crowds went in front of and behind Jesus and yelled out, “The Son of David will save us! Praise him for coming in the Lord’s name. He is our saviour! Yell from the heavens that we will be saved!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, everyone in the city became agitated. They asked each other, “Who’s this guy?”

The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus went to the temple and threw out everyone who was selling and buying in there. He tipped over the money exchanger’s tables and the seats of the dove sellers.

“It’s been written that my house will be called a house of prayer,” Jesus said. “You’ve all turned it into a place for robbers to hangout!”

The blind and disabled in the temple came to Jesus and he healed them.

The chief priests and academics saw Jesus’ miracles and heard the children in the temple yelling out, “The Son of David will save us!”.

They were very annoyed. “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes, I do, Jesus replied. “Didn’t you read, ‘Perfect praise comes out of the mouth of children and babies.’?”

Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he stayed the night.

In the morning, Jesus came back into Jerusalem and was hungry. He saw a fig tree on the side of the road, but couldn’t find any fruit on it, only leaves. He said to the tree, “You will never produce any more fruit.” The tree immediately died.

The disciples saw this and were amazed. “How did that fig tree die so quickly?”

Jesus answered, “I’m honestly telling you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can not only do miracles like what I just did to this fig tree, but even if you tell a mountain to get up and jump into the sea, it will happen. If you believe, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus went into the temple and started teaching.

The chief priests and elders of the people came to him and asked, “What power do you have to do you what you do? Who gave you the power?”

“I also want to ask you something. If you answer me, I will tell you who gives me the power to do what I do. Did the baptism of John come from heaven or from people?”

They started debating amongst themselves. “If we say heaven, he will ask why we don’t believe him. But, if we say from people, we should be worried about the crowds. They all believe that John is a prophet.” They finally answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

“Then I’m not going to tell you who gives me the power to do what I do,” Jesus replied. “But what do you think of this? A man had two sons. He said to the first son, ‘Go work in the vineyard today.’ The son answered, ‘Sir, I’m not going to.’ But he said sorry afterwards and did as he was told. The man went to his second son and said the same thing as he said to his first son. The second son said, ‘I will, sir’. But he didn’t go to work. Which of these two sons did what the father wanted?”

“The first one,” the chief priests and elders answered.

“I’m honestly telling you,” Jesus said, “The tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God’s kingdom before you. John came to you to show you the right way to live but you didn’t believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Even when you this all happening you did not change your minds and believe him.

“Listen to another story: A master of a house planted a vineyard and put a fence around it. He built a wine press and a watch tower and rented it out to farmers while he lived in another place. When it was harvest time, the owner sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of their fruits. But the farmers captured the servants and beat one, killed one and then stoned another.

The owner sent more servants, and the farmers did the same to them.

The owner sent his son to the farmers. “They will respect my son,” he assumed.

The farmers saw the son coming. “That is the owner’s son. Let’s kill him and steal his inheritance.”

They captured the son, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

So, when the owner of the vineyard comes back home, what will he do to the farmers?”

The chief priests and elders replied, “He will destroy the horrible people and rent out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”

“Didn’t you ever read the scriptures?” Jesus asked. “‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the foundation stone. This came from the Lord and looks amazing to us.’ So, I’m telling you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and it will be given to the people who are producing its fruits. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but whoever the stone falls on it will be crushed into a powder.”

The chief priests and the Pharisees heard the stories and knew Jesus was talking about them. They considered getting Jesus arrested, but they were worried about the crowds because the crowds believed he was a prophet.

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Continue exploring Matthew 21

If you’d like to read Matthew 21 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 21 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 21 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 21 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)

Matthew Chapter 20 Simplified – The first will be last

Published on March 2021July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a boss who went out in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. The workers agreed on getting $100 for the day, so the boss sent them into his vineyard.
A few hours later, the boss saw more workers hanging out in the markets.
He said to them, ‘Go work in my vineyard and I’ll pay you a fair amount.’
So, the workers went. The boss went out later and did the same thing again.
In the late afternoon, the boss went out again and saw more workers standing around. ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
‘No one has hired us,’ they replied.
The boss said. ‘Go work in my vineyard and I’ll pay you a fair amount.’
When it was the evening, the boss said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them. Start with those I hired last today and go backwards.’
The workers that were hired last received their $100. The workers that were hired at the beginning of the day came to be paid and assumed they would be paid more, but only received $100 each. After getting their money, they went and complained to the boss, ‘Those workers only worked an hour and were paid the same as us. We worked for the whole day in the burning heat!’
The boss replied to one of them, ‘I didn’t do you wrong, mate. Didn’t you agree to work the day for $100? Take your pay and leave. I wanted to give the worker I hired last the same as what I gave you. Is it illegal to do what I want with my stuff? Or are you jealous because I am generous?’
“In the same way, the last will be first and the first will be last. Many are called, but few are chosen.”

On their way up to Jerusalem, Jesus took his twelve disciples aside. “Listen, we’re on our way to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and law teachers, and they’ll sentence him to death. They’ll give him to the foreigners who will mock, torture and execute him. But on the third day he will come back to life again.”
James and John’s mum came and knelt in front of Jesus, and asked for a favour.
“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
“Tell me my two sons can sit with you,” she replied. “One on your right and one on your left, in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink from the cup I’m about the drink from? And be baptised in the same way I’m about to be baptised?”
“We can,” James and John replied.
“Yes, you will drink from my cup and be baptised in the same way that I will be. But you sit on my right and left isn’t a privilege I can give you. It’s for those that it’s been prepared for by my father.”
When the ten other disciples heard all this, they were very annoyed at the two brothers.
Jesus called all the disciples together. “You know the rulers of the foreigners boss them around, and their superiors rule over them. It won’t be same among you. Whoever wants to be powerful must be your servant. Whoever among you wants to be the first must be your slave. Even the Son of Man came to serve, not be served, and to sacrifice his life to pay off many people’s ransom.”

A big crowd followed Jesus and his disciples as left Jericho. Two blind men who were sitting on the side of the road heard Jesus was coming past. They yelled, “Lord, have compassion for us! Son of David!”
The crowd told them to shut up, but the two men yelled louder. “Lord, have mercy on us! Son of David!”
Jesus stopped and called out to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, open our eyes!”
Jesus felt sorry for them. He touched their eyes and they could see at once. They followed him.

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow or subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 20

If you’d like to read Matthew 20 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 20 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 20 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 20 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 19 Simplified: Jesus gets tested by the Pharisees ands helps out a rich guy

Published on January 2021July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

When Jesus had finished speaking, he left Galilee and went to Judea, which is on the other side of the Jordan river. Big crowds followed him, and he healed them.
Pharisees came to test Jesus. “Is it illegal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
Jesus answered, “Haven’t you read that the one who created them made them man and woman from the beginning, and said, ‘because of this, a man will leave his parents and be joined with his wife and the two will become one. So, they are no longer two bodies but one body. So, what God joined together, no person should separate.”
The Pharisees replied, “Then why did Moses tell us to give a man a divorce certificate and send the wife away?”
“Moses said you are allowed to divorce your wives because you have hard hearts, but this is not how it was at the start. I’m telling you now, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality reasons, and marries someone else is being unfaithful.”
Jesus’ disciples asked, “If this is what marriage is, like isn’t it better to just not get married?”
“Not everyone accepts this teaching,” Jesus replied. “But only those who have been given it. There are some single people who were born like this, and there are some single people who are made single by others, and there are single people who made themselves single for the sake of the heavenly kingdom. Whoever can accept it, let them accept it.”
Children were brought to Jesus, so that he could put his hands on them and pray for them. But Jesus’ disciples told the people off for bringing the children.
Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. They are the type that belong in the heavenly kingdom.”
He put his hands on them, and then left.
A man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good things do I need to do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only one who is good. If you want to go into life, obey the commandments.”
“Which ones?” the man asked.
“Don’t murder or commit adultery or steal or lie. Honour your mum and dad and love your neighbour as if they were yourself.”
“I’ve done all these things. What am I missing?”
“If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor. You will have treasures in heaven. Then you can come and follow me.
“The young man didn’t like what he heard and went away sad because he owned a lot.
Jesus said to his disciples, “I’m telling you, that rich guy will struggle to enter into the heavenly kingdom. I’ll tell you again, it’s easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle then a rich guy to get into God’s kingdom.”
The disciples were amazed when they heard this. “Who can be saved then?”
Jesus looked at them. “With men, it’s impossible. But with God, all things are possible.”
“Look, we left everything to follow you,” Peter said. “What will we get?”
“I’m honestly telling you, because you followed me, when you die and the Son of Man sits on the glorious throne, you will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who has left houses or siblings or parents or spouses or children or land for my purposes will receive 100 times more and eternal life. Many who are currently first will be last, and currently last will be first.”

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow or subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 19

If you’d like to read Matthew 19 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 19 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 19 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 19 in the Contemporary English Version.

FREE Christian Content: My 3 Favourite Producers

Published on January 2021January 2021 by DaveLeave a comment

The following three websites are great sources of Christian, biblical teaching. They vary in technical depth, so I’ve included a brief description of each below that will let you know what you are in for. The two requirements for the websites to be included on this list were: a large majority of the content on the website is free to access and the content is based on the Bible.

1. BibleProject

Formally The Bible Project and now known as just BibleProject, this website is a non-profit animation studio that produces Short animated videos that quickly and clearly explain the key concepts and themes in the Bible. My favourite series is where they create a drawn animation for each book of the Bible that explains what the book is about called Read Scripture. They are handy when you need to get a quick overview of the context of a book. These videos are highly accessible and could be watched by people of any age. They also put out a podcast which is a long-form conversation through which they plan the shorter videos and discuss the content in much more depth.

Some of the BibleProject’s newest content is videos which are much more academic and structured like a university/college curriculum called Classroom by BibleProject. At the moment they have two courses ‘Introduction to the Hebrew Bible’ and ‘Heaven and Earth’. To complete each course requires a commitment of just under 20 hours, but they can be completed at one’s own pace. These are quite academic and do require a level of thinking that may not be required for lighter, devotional and or pastoral content, but content that gets you thinking might be just what you need.

2. Desiring God

Led by John Piper, Desiring God is a treasure trove of free content. It has videos and podcasts that start from being quite devotional and application focused, all the way to more in-depth bible passage and word studies. The podcast ‘Ask Pastor John‘ has over 1600 episodes, where John Piper answers questions that are submitted by listeners. The questions range from controversial biblical topics to difficult pastoral needs. Another interesting thing produced by desiring God is the ‘Look at the Book’ video series. In each of these episodes, John Piper goes through a passage in the Bible, explaining connections to other parts of the Bible, and helping the viewer to understand difficult or unfamiliar concepts.

Another great thing desiring God has to offer is a wide selection of e-books written by John Piper and other well-known Christian authors. Nearly all of the books on the website are free to download and read in DRM free format.

3. The Naked Bible

If you are looking for content that goes really deep into the Bible, theology and the Bible’s context in the ancient Middle East, check out The Naked Bible podcast. The topics that have been covered in the over 350 episodes range from baptism to the Old Testament in Revelation. Dr Michael Heiser is a Bible scholar who specialises in the study of the supernatural in the Bible. Each topic is thoroughly researched but presented in an easy to understand and approachable manner. Some of the things he discusses and the arguments he puts forth sounds quite shocking if you grew up with more naturalistic teachings of the Bible, but everything he discusses is based firmly in scripture.

Are there any producers of free Christian content that you’d like to share with your fellow readers? Shout out their website in the comments!

Matthew Chapter 18 Simplified: Jesus reveals who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

Published on January 2021July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

Straight afterwards, Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus called a child over to him and stood the child in their group.
“I’m honestly telling you,” said Jesus. “If you don’t change and become like little children, you won’t enter into the kingdom of heaven. So, whoever becomes as humble as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child in my name, welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to start sinning, it would be better for that person to be hung with a heavy stone around their neck and drowned to the bottom of the sea. It’s a terrible shame the world has so much sin! Sin will inevitably come, but it’s a terrible shame for the person who causes the sin.
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to continue in life crippled or disabled then have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, rip it out and throw it away. It’s better to continue in life with one eye then have two eyes and be thrown into the fires of hell.
“Make sure you don’t purposely ignore these little ones. I’m telling you, their angels in heaven are always in front of my Father, who is in heaven. “The Son of Man has arrived to save the lost. What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one gets lost, won’t he leave the 99 on the mountain and go look for the lost one? And if he finds it, I’m telling you he’ll be happier about that one than the 99 who didn’t get lost. So, your Heavenly Father doesn’t want any of these little ones to die.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him about the fault in private. If he listens to you, you will have won your brother back. If he doesn’t listen to you, take one or two more people with you so there are two or three witnesses who can confirm what you say. If your brother still doesn’t listen to them, tell the church. If he doesn’t listen to the church, think of him as someone you wouldn’t associate with.
“I’m honestly telling you, whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven and whatever you allow an earth will be allowed in heaven. I’m honestly saying again, if two of you agree something about anything here on earth and ask for it, it will be done for them by my Heavenly Father. If two or three people are together as my followers, I am also there.”

Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often should I forgive my brothers who sin against me? Seven times?”
Jesus replied, “No, not just seven times but 70×7 times! Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wants to settle things with his servants. After he had begun settling, someone was bought to him who owed him a lot of money. The servant couldn’t afford to pay up. The king commanded that the servant, his wife and children and everything they had be sold to settle the debt.
“The servant fell down on his knees and begged, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you!’
“Feeling sorry for him, the servant’s boss freed the servant and forgave his debt.
“After leaving, the former servant came across one of his colleagues who owed him some money. He grabbed him and began choking him. ‘Pay me everything you owe me!’
“His colleague fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me and I will pay you!’
“But the former servant refused and had his colleague thrown into prison until he could pay up. The former servant’s other colleagues saw what happened and they were incredibly sad. They went and told the king what had happened.
“The king summoned the servant. ‘You evil servant. I forgave all your debts because you begged me. Wouldn’t it have been right for you to have compassion for your colleague like I had compassion for you?’
“The servant’s king angrily sent him to prison until he could pay everything he owed.
“So, my heavenly Father will do the same thing to you, if each of you doesn’t forgive your brother from your heart.”

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow or subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 18

If you’d like to read Matthew 18 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 18 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 18 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 18 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 17 Simplified: Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah, casts out a demon and pays his taxes

Published on December 2020July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John to a tall mountain. Jesus transformed in front of them. His face shone brightly, and his clothes became a bright white. Moses and Elijah appeared next to him and the three of them together.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s a good thing we are here. If you want, I can set up three tents—one for each of you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was saying this, a bright cloud came over them and a voice said from the cloud, “This is my son, I love him, and I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell down on the ground, terrified. Jesus came over to them, touched them he told them to get up and not be scared. The disciples looked up. Only Jesus was in front of them.

As they walked back down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you just saw until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
His disciples asked him, “Why do the law teachers say Elijah needs to come first?”
“Elijah will come first and restore everything,” Jesus replied. “But I’m telling you that Elijah already came but they did not recognise him. They did whatever they wanted to him. The Son of Man will suffer from them in the same way.”
The disciples realised Jesus was talking about John the Baptist.

When they reached the crowd at the bottom of the mountain, a man knelt before Jesus. “Lord, be kind to my son! He suffers horribly from epilepsy. He often falls into the fire and into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
“This generation has no faith and is perverted,” Jesus answered. “How long will I be with you? How long will I have to worry about you? Bring him to me.”
Jesus put the demon in his place. It left the boy, healing him straight away.
The disciples privately asked Jesus, “Why weren’t we able to cast out the demon?”
“Because you don’t have enough faith,” Jesus replied. “I’m telling you truthfully if you have faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, you will be able to tell mountains to move from here to there and they would move. Nothing would be impossible for you. But this type of demon does not leave except through prayer and fasting.”

They were now staying in Galilee. Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed and handed over to the people. They will kill him, but on the third day be raised back to life.”
The disciples were deeply saddened to hear this.

They went to Capernaum and came across the temple tax collectors. The tax collectors asked Peter, “Your teacher doesn’t want to pay his taxes?”
“Yes, he does,” Peter replied. He went back into the house they were staying in.
Jesus was expecting Peter and asked him, “What do you think, Simon? Who do earthly kings receive payments and taxes from? From their own people or from strangers?”
“From strangers,” Peter replied.
“Then their own people are free not to pay,” Jesus said, “But we don’t want to offend them. Go fishing in the sea, and the first fish you catch will have a coin in its mouth. Give it to them to pay our taxes.”

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow or subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 17

If you’d like to read Matthew 17 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 17 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 17 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 17 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 16 Simplified: Jesus lets his disciples know what is about to happen

Published on December 2020July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign in the sky.
“In the evening when the sky is red, you say good weather is coming,” Jesus replied. “And when the sky is red in the morning you say a storm is coming. You know how to tell the weather from the sky, but you don’t know how to tell the signs of the times.
An evil and cheating generation of people look for a sign, but they will not be giving a sign, except for Jonah’s sign.”
Jesus walked away from them.

Later, Jesus’s followers arrived at the shore, but they forgot to bring any bread.
Jesus warned them, “Be careful of the Pharisees and Sadducees’ yeast” The disciples talked together and said, “He said that because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Jesus overheard them. “You have almost no faith. Why are you talking about not bringing any bread? Don’t you remember the five bread loaves that fed 5000 people and how many leftovers there were? Or what about the seven loaves of bread for the 4000 people and how many leftovers there were then? Don’t you understand that when I told you to be careful about the Pharisees and Sadducees’ yeast, I wasn’t talking about bread?”
The disciples then understood that Jesus was not telling them to be careful of yeast in bread, but what the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching.

Jesus travelled to Caesarea Philippi. He quizzed his disciples, “Who do people say is the son of man?”
“Some say John the Baptist,” they replied. “Others say Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the other prophets”
“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked.
Simon Peter answered, “You are Christ, the son of the living God.”
“Bless you, Simon, son of John!” Jesus said. “A human did not reveal this to you. My Father in heaven did. I’m also naming you Peter (rock), and I will build my church on this rock and the gates of hell will not overpower it. I will give you the keys to the heavenly kingdom and whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven and what you permit on the earth will be made permitted in the heaven.”
Jesus then told the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. From then on, he explained to his followers that he needed to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed but raised from the dead on the third day.
Peter took Jesus aside and told him off for saying what he said. “This won’t happen, Lord. This won’t ever happen to you.”
“Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus said. “You are an obstacle to me. Your thoughts are human thoughts, not Godly thoughts.”
Jesus then said to all of his disciples, “If anyone wants me, they need to refuse themself and take up their cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life because of me will find it. What benefit is it for a person if they gain everything in the world but lose their life? What will a person give in exchange for their life? The Son of Man will come in the glory of his father with his angels, and then he’ll reward everyone for the actions they did. I’m telling you, there are some people standing here who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man become King.”

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow and subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 16

If you’d like to read Matthew 16 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 16 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 16 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 16 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 14 Simplified: John’s head is served on a platter, Jesus feeds 5000 and walks on water

Published on November 2020July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

Herod, who was the ruler in the area, heard about Jesus.
He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has come back to life because he has amazing powers!”

Herod had captured John and tied him up in prison because his brother Phillip’s wife Herodias asked him to.
John had been telling Herod, “It’s not lawful for you to be with her.”
Herod wanted to kill him, but he was worried the citizens would get upset because they thought John was a prophet. At Herod’s birthday party, Herodias’ daughter danced for him. Herod liked what he saw and promised to give her whatever she wanted. Her mother gave her a suggestion. Herodias’ daughter requested, “Give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter”
Herod didn’t like this request, because of what he had promised the citizens, and there were other people there at the party, but he commanded that it be done anyway. He sent orders to the prison to behead John. John’s head was put on a platter and given to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. John’s followers came and took his body and buried it. They went and told Jesus what had happened.

When he heard what had happened to John, Jesus left from there and went by himself in a boat to a secret place. The crowds followed him on foot from their towns. When he got back on the beach, he saw all the people and felt compassion for them and healed the sick.

In the late afternoon, his followers said to him, “This place is deserted, and it’s been a long time. Tell everyone to go back to the villages to get food.”
Jesus replied, “They don’t need to go away. Find something for them to eat.”
The followers told him, “We don’t have anything here except for five loaves of bread and two fish.”
“Bring them here,” Jesus said.
Jesus told the crowds to sit down on the grass. He held the five loaves of bread and two fish. He looked up to the heavens, said a prayer and broke the bread. He gave his followers the bread and his followers passed the bread out to the crowds. Everyone ate until they were full. They took the leftovers and found there were 12 baskets full of food left. There were about 5000 men that ate, not including the women and the children.
As soon as they finished eating, Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the lake, so they couldn’t tell the crowd to go away.

Later, after sending the crowds away, Jesus went up a mountain alone to pray. It was now evening and he was alone. The boat was now in the middle of the lake and being tossed around by the wind and waves.

In the early hours of the morning, Jesus walked across the lake to the boat. His followers saw him walking on the water and were freaked out. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and screamed.
Jesus called to them, “Don’t be scared! It’s me. Don’t worry.”
Peter replied, “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come and meet you on the water.”
Jesus said, “Come.”
Peter got out from the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind blowing around him, Peter was scared and began to sink into the water. He cried out “Lord, save me!”.
Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of Peter. “You have hardly any faith. Why did you doubt?”
They both got into the boat and the wind stopped. Everyone in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “You really are God’s son!”

They finished crossing the lake and came to the land of Gennesaret. The men there recognised Jesus. They sent messages to all the surrounding areas for the sick to be brought to him. The people begged Jesus to let them touch the fringe of his clothes. Those that did were cured.

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Continue exploring Matthew 14

If you’d like to read Matthew 14 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 14 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 14 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 14 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 13 Simplified: Jesus tells more stories

Published on November 2020July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

Jesus left the house and sat on the beach by the lake. A big crowd surrounded him, so he got into a boat. The crowd on the beach stood waiting. Jesus spoke to them in stories.

He said, “A farmer went out to plant some seeds. When he was throwing the seeds around, some fell on the road and were eaten by birds. Some seeds fell on rocks where there wasn’t much soil. The plants grew quickly, but the lack of soil caused them to get burnt and wither under the Sun. Other seeds fell on thorny bushes. When those plants grew, the thorny bushes choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced fruit; some 100, 60 or 30 times what was planted. If you have ears, listen!”

Jesus’ followers asked him, “Why are you speaking in abstract stories?”

Jesus answered, “You know the mysteries of the Heavenly Kingdom, but they don’t. Whoever has it, they’ll receive more until they have heaps. Whoever doesn’t have it, even what they have will be taken from them. I speak in stories because they look and listen, but don’t see or hear. They don’t understand. They are fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy when he said, ‘You will listen but not understand, and you will look but not recognise.’ These people’s hearts have become dull. They can hardly hear and their eyes are closed. They should look with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts and turn so I can heal them.

“You are blessed because your eyes can see and your ears can hear. I’m telling you, many prophets and good men wanted to see what you can see, but couldn’t see it. They wanted to hear what you could hear but didn’t hear it.

“So, listen to what the story of farmer means: Everyone who hears the message about the kingdom but doesn’t understand has whatever was planted in their heart snatched away by the devil. This is like the seeds that fell on the road. The seeds that fell on the rocks, this is like whoever hears the message and immediately is happy to hear it, but no roots are formed, and so his happiness is temporary. If troubles come, he immediately falls away. The seeds that fell on the thorny bushes, this is like someone who has heard the message, but is choked by worries and riches and lies, and it becomes unproductive. The seeds that were planted in the good soil, however, is like someone who hears and understands the word. They produce lots of fruit, 100, 60 or 30 times what was planted.”

Jesus told them another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seeds in his field. When everyone was asleep, his enemy came and planted weeds in the field and escaped. When the plants grew and produce fruit, the weeds also appeared. When the farmer’s servants asked him, ‘Didn’t you plant good seeds in your field? Why are there weeds?’

The master replied, “An enemy did this.”

“Do you want us to go and remove the weeds?” the servants asked.

“No, because you’ll pull up the wheat as well. Let them both grow until it’s harvest time. Then I will tell the harvesters to pull up the weeds, tie them together and burn them, and store the wheat in my barns.'”

Jesus told them another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all the seeds, it grows into a tree that birds can sit on.”

He told them another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman combined into a large amount of flour until it was evenly mixed.”

Jesus told these stories to the crowds and he didn’t speak to them without telling them a story so that what the prophet said might come true: “I will tell stories out of my mouth. I will tell secrets from the foundations of the world.”

After Jesus said goodbye to the crowds, he went back into the house.

His followers came to him and said, “Explain the story of the weeds in the field”.

Jesus answered, “The son of man is the one planting good seeds and the field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom and the weeds are the sons of the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil, and the harvest is at the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. The weeds are gathered and burned. The same thing will happen at the end of the age. The son of man will send out his angels, and they will gather everything that causes sin and everyone who is evil. They’ll be thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be crying and grinding of teeth. Those that are right with God will shine forth like the sun in their father’s kingdom. If anyone has ears, listen!

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that has been buried in a field. When a man finds the treasure, he happily sells everything he owns to buy the field.

“The kingdom of heaven is also like a trader looking for fine pearls. When the trade finds a very precious pearl he sells everything he has to afford it.

“The kingdom of heaven is also like a net that was thrown into the sea. It caught all the different types of fish and filled up. They pulled the nets onto the beach and collected the fish into their containers but threw bad fish back. This age will end just like that. The angels will separate the evil from people who have made themselves right with God. The evil people will be thrown into the furnace. There will be crying and grinding of teeth. Do you understand all this?”

They replied, “Yes.”

Jesus said, “Because of this, all the teachers who have been a follower of the kingdom of heaven are like house owners who bring out new and old treasures.

When Jesus had finished telling the stories, he left and went to his hometown. He taught the Jews there. They were amazed at what they had and asked, “Where does this wise man with his incredible powers come from? Is this the carpenter’s son? Is his mother named Mary? And his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? Aren’t his sisters here with us? Where does this man get these things?”

They were offended by him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his hometown and in his house.”

He didn’t do many miracles that because they didn’t believe in him.

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Continue exploring Matthew 13

If you’d like to read Matthew 13 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 13 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 13 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 13 in the Contemporary English Version.

Matthew Chapter 12 Simplified: Jesus is accused of doing illegal things

Published on September 2020July 2023 by DaveLeave a comment

Jesus walked through some farms on the Holy Day. His followers were hungry, and they picked and ate the grain in the fields.
The Pharisees saw this and said to him, “Your followers are doing what is illegal on Holy Days!”
Jesus replied, “Didn’t you read what David did when he and his followers were hungry? He entered into the house of God and they ate sacred bread, which was illegal for him and his followers to eat because it was reserved for the priests. Haven’t you read in the law books that on the Holy Days the temple priests break the Holy Day laws but are still innocent? I’m saying now, however, that something more important than the temple is here.
If you had known that I want compassion, not sacrifices, you wouldn’t have accused my innocent followers. The Son of Man is Lord of the Holy Days.”

Jesus left from there and went into their place of worship. There was a man with a deformed hand at the temple. The Pharisees asked Jesus so they could catch him out, “Is it legal to heal someone on a Holy Day?”
Jesus replied, “Will any of you, if you owned a sheep that fell into a pit on a Holy Day, not rescue it? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep?! So it is legal to do good things on Holy Days.”
He then said to the man with the deformed hand, “Stretch out your hand.”
The man stretched his hand out and it was completely healed.

The Pharisees left the building and had a meeting. They discussed how they could kill Jesus. Jesus heard about this and left the area. A giant crowd followed him, and he healed them all, but he warned them not to snitch on him so that Isaiah the prophet’s prophecy might come true, which was:
‘See my chosen servant; my loved one who my soul delights in. I will put my Spirit in him and he will declare my justice to the everyone. He won’t shout or argue. No one will hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a damaged reed or put out a smouldering candle until he has justice and victory. The non-Jewish people will trust in his name.’

A demon-possessed, blind and mute man was brought to Jesus. Jesus healed him, and the man could speak and see.
Everyone in the crowd was amazed and asked, “Is this David’s descendant?”
When the Pharisees heard about this miracle and said, “This man sends out demons probably because of Satan, the demon ruler!”
Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus went and said to them, “All kingdoms where the people can’t get along will be destroyed. All towns or houses where the members can’t get along will fall. If Satan casts himself out, then he is divided against himself. How would his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons in the name of Satan, in who’s name do your exorcists cast demons out? Because of this, they will judge you. However, if I cast out demons in the name of the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
How is anyone able to go into a strong man’s house and steal his things if they don’t tie the man up? Then they can steal everything from his house. Anyone not with me is against me, and anyone not joined with me is scattered. Because of all this, people, I’m telling you, every sin and abusive thing you say will be forgiven. But abuse against the Spirit will not be forgiven. If anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, they will be forgiven. If anyone speaks against the Holy Spirit, they will not be forgiven, not now or in the future.
A good tree will be known by its good fruit. A bad tree will be known by its bad fruit. You bunch of snakes, how can you speak good things while being evil? What you think in your heart determines what you say. The good man gives good things from his treasures, while the evil man gives evil things from his treasures. I’m telling you, every careless word that people say, they will be held accountable on the day of judgement. You’ll be judged innocent or guilty by your words.”
Some of the teachers and Pharisees said, “We want to see a sign from you.”
Jesus said, “An evil and cheating generation want a sign. The only sign I’ll show you is Jonah the prophet’s sign. Jonah was inside a fish for three days and nights. In the same way the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and nights. The people of Ninevah will stand at judgement with this generation and judge it. They repented just from Jonah’s preaching, and you see someone greater than Jonah here. The Southern Queen will rise up and also judge this generation, because she came from far away to hear Solomon’s wisdom, but sees something greater than Solomon here.
When a dirty spirit has left a person, it goes through deserts looking for rest but can’t find anywhere to rest. It says ‘I will return to the house from where I came.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, cleaned and sorted. Then it gathers seven other even more spirits and they all go stay in the house. The person is worse than when he started off. The same thing will happen to this evil generation.”

While he was speaking, his mum and brothers standing outside, waiting to talk to him.
Someone said to Jesus, “Look, your mum and brothers are waiting outside. They want to talk to you.”
“Who are my mum and brothers?” Jesus pointed to his disciples. “These are my family. Whoever does what my heavenly Father wants is family.”

Matthew Chapter 12 Summary

Jesus and his disciples walk through grain fields on the Holy Day. They eat the grain, which the Pharisees say is against the law. Jesus defends his followers, saying that their actions aren’t wrong and emphasises the value of compassion over blindly doing what the law says. At the temple, Jesus heals a man with a deformed hand on the Holy Day, bringing further criticism from the Pharisees. Jesus then leaves the temple and heals many others, bringing to completion one of Isaiah’s prophecies. Jesus is accused by the Pharisees of using demonic powers, but Jesus opposes this, speaking about unity and forgiveness. He explains that a good tree is known by its good fruit and that what you say reflects your heart. Jesus then tells off the Pharisees for demanding a sign and then predicts his death and reawakening. He then discusses the state of a person freed from an evil spirit, relating it to the state of the generation of people. Lastly, Jesus redefines his family as those who follow God’s will, not just his relatives.

Matthew Chapter 12 Bible Study Questions and Answers

How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees accusing his disciples of breaking the law?
Answer: Jesus defends his disciples, reminding the Pharisees about the time David and his followers ate sacred bread out of hunger, which was against the law. He highlights that he values compassion over adherence to the law.
What does Jesus mean when he says, “A good tree will be known by its good fruit”?
Answer: Jesus is saying that a person’s actions reflect their character. Good actions show a good character, while bad actions reveal a bad character.
How does Jesus redefine the concept of family?
Answer: Jesus redefines family as not just being about biological relatives but about spiritual ones. He points to his disciples and states that anyone who does what his Heavenly Father wants is his family.
How does Jesus’s healing of the man with a deformed hand consider the idea of doing good on the Holy Day?
Answer: Jesus heals the man to show that doing good acts, like healing, is not wrong even on Holy Days. It challenges the interpretations of the law by the Pharisees.
What is the significance of Jesus’s prediction of his death and reawakening in the context of faith?
Answer: Jesus predicts his death and reawakening as a sign for the unbelieving and critical Pharisees. It is the ultimate act of saving others and the base of Christian faith.

Matthew Chapter 12 Explained

In Matthew Chapter 12, we see Jesus navigating between holding to religious laws and the higher calling of mercy and love. This chapter opens with Jesus’s disciples picking grain on the Holy Day. The Pharisees, holders of religious tradition, accuse them of breaking the point of the Holy Day. But Jesus reinterprets the law, saying that mercy wins over sacrifices. He says that “The Son of Man is Lord of the Holy Days,” stating his divine authority over the religious laws.

When Jesus heals a man with a deformed hand on the Holy Day, he produces more anger from the Pharisees. He challenges them with the story of a sheep fallen into a pit, saying that it is legal to do good on the Holy Day. This discussion displays the compassion and love that is Jesus’s ministry.

The Pharisees accuse Jesus of performing miracles through demonic power, a claim that Jesus dismisses by saying that a divided house cannot stand, emphasising the importance of unity.

In his teaching about good and bad trees and their fruits, Jesus highlights the significance of integrity, saying that actions reflect one’s heart. The Pharisees, demanding a sign, are told off for their unbelief and lack of understanding. Jesus predicts his death and reawakening, referencing Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish.

The chapter ends with Jesus redefining the concept of family as not just biological but spiritual. This is a rethinking of what family means and invites us to view our relationships through the lens of shared spiritual commitment rather than just relatives. Matthew 12 challenges us to prioritise mercy, understand unity, exercise integrity, deepen our faith, and redefine our sense of community.

To read the next chapters, you might like to follow and subscribe to this blog!

Continue exploring Matthew 12

If you’d like to read Matthew 12 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 12 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 12 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 12 in the Contemporary English Version.