1

1-17: Matthew seems to have wrote his Gospel to a Jewish audience in order to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah. Because of this, he traced Jesus’ genealogy through his legal father Joseph to David, to Abraham. Luke focused on Jesus’ biological lineage through Mary to Adam. The Gospel authors show that Jesus fulfilled prophecy both legally and biologically. (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6).

18-21: Jesus is God, the creator of all things, and has existed for all of eternity. The purpose of creation is to bring God glory. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection glorified God by displaying his attributes of justice and grace. Jesus became a human to represent us, pay for our sins, and give us his sinless record in God’s sight (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:22 ). He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit through Mary, which shows both his humanity and divinity. Joseph didn’t believe Mary, so an angel verified what had happened.

22: The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which is based on the Semitic root y-š-ʕ (Hebrew: ישע), meaning "to deliver; to rescue." Jesus would eventually deliver his people from their sins, rescuing them from the judgment of God.

23-24: Isaiah didn’t mean the messiah was literally going to be named Immanuel—it was a descriptive name such as "Wonderful, Consular, everlasting father, prince of peace" (a name mentioned by Isaiah shortly after this prophecy).

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1-10: The wise men were gentiles from the East who were guided by God to see Messiah. Their place in Jesus’ birth story shows that redemption is for all people, not just ethnic Israel (Ephesians 2:11-13). They were familiar with the Jewish scriptures and astronomy. The star was a supernatural event that God used to guide them.

11-12: Somehow the wise men knew Jesus was God in human form and rightfully worshipped him. Perhaps they received more theological insight from Joseph and Mary on Jesus’ true identity. According to early church tradition (Origen), their gifts had theological significance. Gold was a symbol of kingship, frankincense was a perfume representing deity, and myrrh was used as an embalming/anointing oil, which symbolized his death.

13-15: God guided and fulfilled prophecy in a very direct way through his angels and Jospeh.

16-18: Herod’s slaughter of the children was the fulfillment of a prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15.

19-22: These supernatural and earthly events providentially lead to Jesus becoming a Nazarene.

23: It’s not clear which prophecy Matthew is referring to since no direct prophecy of the sort exists in the Old Testament.

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1-12: John’s purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus so his followers would understand repentance, baptism, and Jesus’ identity. He criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees for being false converts who lacked true repentance.

13-15: When Jesus approached John to be baptized, John thought it was theologically absurd for the sinless savior to receive a "baptism of repentance" at the hands of a sinful man. However, it was necessary for Jesus to go through the process of baptism in order to fulfill the righteousness required of all people. Jesus lived the perfect life that would be credited to us, and being baptized was part of the process. Baptism is now a symbol of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s how we publicly declare that we are united with Christ.

16-17: After Jesus was baptized, the the entire Trinity was manifest and it confirmed Jesus’ deity; the Son was present in bodily form, the Father’s voice was heard, and the Holy Spirt visually descended onto Jesus in the form of a dove.

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1-2: Another step in "fulfilling all righteousness" was to be tempted by the Devil and overcome him. The Holy Spirit lead Jesus to be tempted in the wilderness. Jesus still resisted in a weakened physical state of hunger.

3-4: Satan’s first attempt to make Jesus sin was an appeal to fulfill a physical desire (hunger) when he was supposed to be fasting. He challenged Jesus to prove his divinity with a frivolous miracle that would satisfy his hunger. Jesus refused by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, which points out that we not only need physical nourishment but spiritual nourishment as well.

5-7: Satan’s second attempt at making Jesus sin was to get him to test God the Father. Satan tried strengthening his appeal by twisting Psalm 91:11, which is a Psalm about trusting in God. He wanted to make the passage seem like permission to test God. Jesus responded with scripture again, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.

8-11: God has given Satan a level of dominion over this world, ruling through the desires and ideas of unbelievers. Satan is refereed to as the "ruler" and "god of this world" in other parts of scripture (John 12:31, 2 Corinthians 4:4). However, God is still the ultimate authority and sets boundaries for Satan, who is merely a tool to carry out God’s overarching plan. Satan offered to give Jesus dominion over the kingdoms of the world in exchange for Jesus’ worship. Jesus give his final response from scripture and Satan fled.

12-17: Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 9:1-2 by living in the territory of Zebulun Naphtali in Galilee and bringing the light of his public ministry. His message was for us to repent and trust in God for our salvation (Mark 1:15).

18-22: Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be his disciples. They quickly abandoned everything to follow him, perhaps because they saw his miraculous baptism. It’s also possible that his statement "follow me" was merely a summary of a much larger conversation to convince them. Jesus used the fishing analogy to call the disciples to be evangelists.

23-25: Jesus proclaimed the Gospel and began his public healing ministry, healing all who came to him. ]

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1: Jesus’ healing and preaching drew a large crowd, so he went up on a mountain and preached the sermon known as the Beatitudes (blessings) and the sermon on the mount.

2-3: Those of us who are poor in spirit lack righteousness; we have nothing to offer in exchange for entering God’s kingdom. This humility puts us in a position to recognize our sin and cry out to God to be forgiven through Jesus. His sermon contradicts the popular religious idea that salvation is earned through spiritual riches.

4: Believers who mourn (have godly grief) will be comforted through repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10). They will also be comforted when all things are made new (Revelation 21:4).

5: Meekness is to humble oneself and submit to God. We are also commanded to put others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3). This principle comes from Psalm 37:11.

6: If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we are blessed because the Holy Spirit is working in our lives to convict us. We will be satisfied when we put our trust in Jesus and receive his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

7: There’s a strong connection in scripture between offering mercy to others and receiving it from God. If we refuse to forgive others, we won’t be forgiven by God; failure to do so is an indication that we never put our trust in Jesus and received mercy. No one who truly understands the Gospel can feel they have the right to withhold forgiveness to another.

8: Though technically no one has a pure heart, we can can be made pure through Jesus’ atonement and see God when we die (Romans 3:23,1 John 3:3).

9: A defining feature of someone lead by the spirit (a "son of God") is that they seek to make peace (James 3:18, Romans 8:14).

10-12: When we endure persecution, it confirms that our faith is genuine and we’re part of the kingdom of heaven. Endurance rules out the possibility of being the seed sown on rocky ground that falls away when persecuted (Matthew 13:20-21).

13: Salt was used for preservation, flavor, and causes thirst. The salt analogy isn’t clear to me, but it’s possible these uses play into the meaning.

14-16: Christians are the light of the world because they have the the gospel message that leads to eternal life. We must share this light and confirm the message with good works. This confirms to the world that our identity is in Christ.

17-18: Jesus didn’t arbitrarily end the old covenant laws—he fulfilled them. All of the sacrificial and purity laws were fulfilled through His perfect sacrifice on the cross. This united Jew and Gentile, making the Mosaic covenant with Israel and the civil laws obsolete. Mankind could then be united with God by fulfilling the requirements of the moral law through faith in Christ (Romans 3:31). However, Jesus’ fulfillment of the moral law isn’t permission to sin freely (Romans 6). The purity, sacrificial, and civil laws were a pragmatic solution to bridge the gap between God and mankind and teach theological truths during a time without scripture. But the moral law (laws that relate to loving God and neighbor) is grounded in God’s nature and can never cease to exist. For example, murder (the unjustified killing of another human) will never be permissible. Many of Israel’s civil laws had moral principles behind them.

19: The commandments "not to be relaxed" are listed in the remainder of the chapter. The positions in heaven he mentions are tied to obedience to these laws.

20: The scribes and Pharisees were known for their almost perfect obedience to the Law. However God’s requirement is perfect obedience, which entails exceeding their righteousness. No one is righteous enough to earn their way to heaven, but through faith in Christ we attain his record of righteousness in God’s sight.

21-22: Part of exceeding the Pharisees’ righteousness is to obey on a deeper level than their mere outward obedience. We may not physically murder someone, but if we harbor anger towards them then it’s a sin and we’ll face judgment. There’s nothing especially wicked about the term fool, but it’s an example of the verbal abuse that comes from a hateful murderous heart.

23-24: We must approach God with an attitude of forgiveness and be in a state of peace with others. We cannot truly worship God or be forgiven by him when we have bitterness towards others by refuse to forgive them. This passage gets to the heart of repentance; if someone is bitter and unable to forgive, then it shows a hardness of heart and self-righteousness that dismisses the idea that they too need forgiveness.

25-26: This is a call for believers to be Christlike and settle their disputes rather than rely on human courts whenever possible. Paul expanded on this concept in 1 Corinthians 6:1-7.

27-28: Sexual fantasies are sinful because they are adultery of the heart. We may not physically commit the act, but these desires are the root cause of adultery and are sins against God.

29-30: Jesus used hyperbole to communicate that it would be better to lose part of your body than face the consequences of sin. While it’s literally true that hell is a worse fate than amputation, we know Jesus was using hyperbolic language because amputating your hand or eye wouldn’t free us from sin and lust. Furthermore, early Christians never took it as a literal command. It’s merely a powerful way to say that we must resist sin at any cost.

31-32: Jesus recognized divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality (adultery). To divorce for other reasons is adultery because their lifelong vows were still valid according to God’s standard. The only exception to this rule came when Paul expanded on Jesus’ teaching through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He taught that if an unbelieving spouse wanted to divorce a believer, they were permitted to divorce and it would be recognized by God (1 Corinthians 7:15).

33-37: We shouldn’t carelessly make oaths by such things as heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or our own heads. We don’t have authority over any of these things; God created them and owns all things. We shouldn’t be deceptive, and our word should be as if we are always under oath. When we say yes or no, we shouldn’t have to qualify it with an oath, as if it’s okay to be deceptive when we aren’t under oath.

38-42: The principle of just retribution in the Old Covenant ("eye for an eye") is in the context of civil law and refers to legal justice. In this passage, Jesus addressed how his followers should respond to personal attacks. When people do evil to us, we should follow Christ’s example and respond in self-sacrificial love (1Peter 2:23). This doesn’t negate legal justice or mean we shouldn’t protect others. God placed governments to punish the wicked, and commands us to defend the weak and oppressed (Romans 13:1-4, Psalm 82:3).

43-48: The scribes and Pharisees added the phrase "hate your enemy" to the passage in Leviticus 19:18. Perhaps they justified in their minds it with the "eye for an eye’ principle. However, there was nothing special about their standard since even worldly, sinful people naturally hate their enemies. Jesus corrected their law by teaching them to be graceful (unmerited blessing) as the Father is graceful. Just as God graciously provides evil people with sunlight and rain for their crops, we should love our enemies who persecute us even though they don’t deserve it. God will judge them and right all wrongs—it’s not our job to get even. God is the standard of perfection that’s required of us. Although we can never attain perfection, we inherit Jesus’ perfect record and strive to be perfect out of gratitude.

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1–4: People who act righteously to impress others will receive nothing more than the reward of human praise. When we give to the needy in secret we will be rewarded by God. The phrase of "not letting your left hand know what your right is doing" simply illustrates giving in secret.

5-6: It’s wrong to use prayer as a way to impress others. Prayer is communication with God—not a tool to glorify ourselves. Verse 6 tells us that there are rewards for prayer done rightly.

7-8: The Gentiles (those involved in pagan religions) sought provision from the gods through superstitious phrasing and repetition (1 Kings 18:29). This method is unnecessary because God already knows what we needs even before we ask.

9: Prayer should be done with an attitude of deep reverence for God in heaven.

16-18: Just as with giving and prayer, we must avoid hypocrisy in fasting.

19-21: Nothing in the physical world will last; all of our possessions will either be stolen, decay, or be destroyed by fire at the end of the age (2 Peter 3:12). We shouldn’t store up excessive wealth and possessions during our temporary time on earth. Instead, we should invest what God has given us into eternal things such as Gospel centered ministries and caring for those in need. How we use our money and possessions reveals our heart.

22-23: Since this passage is sandwiched between verses about earthly possessions and money, it’s probably saying that how we view worldly possessions affects our soul. In the analogy, eyes are like a window/lamp where either light or darkness can enter, and illuminate the interior (our soul). If we see use worldly possession to build up God’s kingdom, then our eye is healthy. However, if we see worldly possessions as an end in themselves, then our eye is bad. Both scenarios affect our souls; one for good and one for evil.

24: We know from the heavenly treasure principle that money and treasure isn’t evil in and of itself. It’s the service to money as a master that is evil.

25-33: Since God sovereignly controls everything, we shouldn’t be anxious about acquiring means of survival such as food, shelter, clothing. No matter how much we plan or work to survive, we can’t add a single hour to our lives. God has chosen the very moment we will die, and all things providentially work into his plan. If we seek first his kingdom and righteousness, he will provide us with everything we need until it’s our time to die. The question naturally arises, "what about all the Christians who have died of starvation or lack of shelter?". God provided for them until his purpose for their lives was fulfilled. Their death was only possible after this was complete.

34: We should face our problems one day at a time with the knowledge that God is in control and will provide for us. It’s pointless to worry about things that may never happen.

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1-5: The danger in judging others is that the same measure of judgment will be applied to us on judgment day. It’s hypocritical to tell other people how to live when we ourselves are doing the very things we criticize. Our hearts are deceitful and wicked so we must be careful not to fall into hypocrisy (Jeremiah 17:9).

6: This analogy pictures the Gospel message as "what is holy/pearls", and violent people who hate the truth as "dogs/swine". We should share the Gospel with others, but not when they refuse to hear and attack us over it. This is the reason Jesus wouldn’t perform miracles for the closed minded people who demanded them of him.

7-11: To understand how God answers prayer, we have to consider everything that the Bible says about it. God answers every prayer when certain conditions are met. First of all, we must be His child in the sense that we’ve repented and put our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. God never promised to answer the prayer request of those who reject Christ. Second, we can’t be out of fellowship with God, living in unrepentant sin (1 John 3:22). In the words of John 15:7-12, we must abide in him. Thirdly, our requests must be in alignment with God’s will, in which the end is to bring Him glory (Matthew 6:10, John 14:13). For example, you can’t ask God to bless your adulterous relationship and expect Him to listen. When we meet God’s requirements for prayer and abide in him, our prayer requests will be guided by the Holy Spirit and we will ask for good things. These are the prayer requests God guarantees to give, either in this life or the next.

12: Treating others the way we want to be treated sums up the Law because when we love others, the fruit is that we do the things the law requires. For example, we won’t covet, lie, or steal, from people love.

13-14: The majority of the human race has rejected the one true God, but He has saved a remnant that enters through the narrow gate. This narrow gate is repentance and faith in Jesus.

15-20: There are false prophets who use Jesus’ name for their own sinful gain. They disguise themselves with harmless, feel good messages, but on the inside they are predators who take advantage of their flock. Aside from comparing their message to scripture, they can be identified by the fruit they bear: the lives they live and the disciples they create.

21-23: On judgment day, false prophets and false converts will seek justification through their good works supposedly done in Jesus’ name. However, they will face judgment since they trusted in these works rather than the finished work of Christ. Without Jesus as our sacrifice, we will be judged for every evil deed we’ve ever done.

24-27: Only when Jesus is the foundation of our faith and lives can we weather the storms of life and survive God’s wrath on judgment day. If we build our lives on any other foundation, such as other religions or our own righteousness, we will ultimately be destroyed.

28: Jesus is God so his teachings carry the full weight of God’s authority. The scribes were merely replying information.

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1-3: Jesus created all things and can reverse the effects of the fall, such as disease and death. The leprous man realized that his request could only be granted if it fit into God’s ultimate will. He followed Jesus’ model of asking for things by saying "your will be done" (Matthew 6:10).

4: Sometimes Jesus told the people he healed to tell others about it, and other times he told them to keep it a secret. These were strategic, providential moves to stop the crucifixion from happening either too early or too late.

5-13: The centurion understood his unworthiness in the presence of Jesus. He had so much faith in Jesus’ ability to heal that he declined Jesus’ offer to heal the paralyzed servant in person. Jesus pointed out that this gentile’s faith was greater than many from God’s chosen (Israel), and that gentiles from all over the world benefit from the God of Israel. This is indicated from the phrase "many from East and West reclining at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob". This engrafting of the gentiles fulfilled the prophecy that God would bless the nations through Abraham (Genesis 22:18).

14-17: Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in the short term and will ultimately fulfill it when he returns (Revelation 21:4).

18-20: The cost of following Jesus is to put him above everything (Luke 9:23, 14:33). Jesus obviously didn’t have a problem with people following him, so why did he discourage this particular man from doing so? Jesus often responded to the motives of people’s hearts rather than their actual words (Luke 5:22, Matthew 12:25, Mark 2:8). He knew the scribe’s claim to be a faithful follower was fueled by the common misconception that Jesus came to overthrow Rome and set up his earthly kingdom (Acts 1:6, John 6:15). Perhaps the man thought he would benefit personally by ruling with the most powerful earthly king in history. Jesus’ response corrected the man’s presuppositions and made him count the cost of truly following Jesus.

21-22: The second disciple seemed to understand the high cost of following Christ, so he procrastinated with earthly excuses. Respectfully burying a dead parent is a good thing, but not when it’s used as an excuse to delay obedience to Christ. Jesus’ solution in this specific case was to delegate the task of of burying his unbelieving father to other unbelievers. His words may sound harsh, but Jesus had to make it clear to this man that his priorities were wrong.

23-27: Jesus criticized the disciples’ faith because they should have known that Jesus’ sovereign plan for them wouldn’t be thwarted by a storm killing them all. Jesus is the creator of the universe and not a single atom is outside of his control. Seeing miracles like this strengthened the disciples trust in him.

28-34: The demons recognized Jesus’ deity and the fact that they would face judgment. They wanted to possess a heard of pigs rather be bound during the current age (2 Peter 2:4). It’s not clear why the demons saw a dichotomy between the pigs and prison, or why they ran down to the water. There may be theological concepts about demons behind each action that just aren’t explained in scripture. Luke 11:23 mentions that evil spirits seek rest when "passing through waterless places". This may explain why they wanted to indwell other biological life forms composed of water, then go into a lake of water. It’s also possible that Luke’s term "waterless places" is simply a metaphor for places without God (the hearts of unbelievers) (Psalm 63:1).

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1-8: The paralytic believed in Jesus so much that he went through the humiliation and trouble of having his friends carry him to Jesus. The scribes were right that it would be blasphemous for a man to forgive sins, but Jesus is the son of God and has the authority to do so. He proved it by performing a miracle, but his point was lost on the crowds who thought he was merely a man that received authority from God.

9: This Matthew is the author of this book.

10-13: Through Matthew, Jesus became friends with tax collectors and spent time with them at their house. This was seen as a scandal in the eyes of the Pharisees because tax collectors were often greedy sinners who stole extra money when the collected. But Jesus spent time with them so they could receive mercy and know the one true God; it was never an approval of their sinful behavior.

14-17: Jesus responded with 3 analogies when asked why His disciples didn’t partake in the ceremonial fasting of the Old Covenant. The wedding analogy made the point that while the messiah/bridegroom was in their presence, there was no need to fast (the reason being that fasting is associated with sorrow). The second two analogies (un-shrunk cloth and new wine) communicated that old covenant ceremonies couldn’t be combined with the new covenant. For example, sacrificing lambs while putting our trust in Jesus’s sacrifice is a contradiction that would cause us to destroy the purpose of both covenants in our lives; the old wine skin would burst, and the new wine would fall on the ground. The ceremonies and sacrificial system were shadows that found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

18-22: Under old covenant purity laws, a woman with a blood discharge was ceremonially unclean and couldn’t touch anyone. Everything she touched (other people, beds, cloth) became unclean and a priest had to make atonement for her to be clean again (Leviticus 15:25-30). The woman who wanted healing from her discharge was healed and made clean by her faith that Jesus could heal her. Since Jesus is the source atonement, she instantly became healed and ceremonially clean rather than Jesus and his garment becoming unclean.

23-26: Jesus referred to the ruler’s daughter’s death as sleep because he knew she would rise again momentarily. He used the same language when referred to Lazarus’ death before raising him (John 11:11).

27-31: The blind men were healed according to their faith in Jesus’ ability to heal.

32-34: Demons have the ability to cause physical disabilities and illness, but that doesn’t mean all illness is caused by demons (Matthew 4:24, 12:22). Jesus’ response the Pharisees’ accusation of demonic influence is recorded in Luke 11:14-23.

35: Jesus spread the Gospel message that he came to atone for our sins and filled the Old Testament law. If we repent and trust in him, he will save us. Jesus backed up his message and identity with healing miracles.

36-38: Jesus was compassionate and pointed out how few the laborers there are to spread the Gospel. We should pray that God would provide more Gospel laborers and become laborers ourselves.

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1-4: Jesus gave the 12 apostles a unique ability to cast out demons and heal people through the power of the Holy Spirit.

5-15: Jesus sent the apostles out to share the Gospel with the Jewish nation and forbade preaching to gentiles during this period. This was to fulfill the promise that salvation came first to God’s chosen people, then to gentiles (Deuteronomy 7:6-7, Romans 1:16). The apostles were commanded to perform miracles just as Jesus did to validate their ministry. They were forbidden from using miracles for financial gain. The Jews had the freedom to reject their message, but would face an even greater judgement than Sodom and Gomorrah since they did so in the face of miracles and a clear presentation of the Gospel.

16-21: Jesus promised the apostles would face persecution on their missionary journeys, but would be guided in what to say to their persecutors. Sinful reactions to the Gospel would divide families and still does to this day.

22: Their endurance to the end would prove that they were truly saved. Judas didn’t endure, but betrayed Jesus.

23: The apostles had permission to flee from persecution.

24-25: Since the world rejects Jesus and accuses him of evil, it follows that they will do the same to his followers. Today many Christians are called evil for following Jesus’ teachings that contradict the secular and political doctrines.

26-31: We shouldn’t fear mankind and what they can do to our physical bodies. God is in complete control of both the physical and spiritual realms and He cares for us. Man may torture and kill us, but they cannot destroy our souls. If we put our faith in Christ, nothing can separate us from God. All persecution and pain is temporary.

32-33: If we truly put our trust in Christ, we will acknowledge him before others despite ridicule and persecution. Baptism is a way to publicly proclaim our faith in Jesus. If we deny Jesus before others, then we never truly received him. This doesn’t mean if you’ve denied him at some weak point in your journey that you’re eternally condemned; Peter denied Christ three times and was forgiven. Peter’s faith was genuine and his life wasn’t defined by denial of Christ. He denied Christ in a dark moment of sin and fear.

34-37: Although Jesus is the prince of peace and will one day bring perfect peace on earth, his message of the Gospel is divisive in our sinful world. In some cultures their families turn against their own family members who receive Christ. In some cases, such as in extreme Muslim or Marxist countries, families put their relatives to death for their allegiance to Christ. In this way, Jesus indirectly brings violence (a sword) and division. However, this is not contradictory to his message or plan. He promised to save a remnant and that we would face trials and persecution in this world. Yet even this division plays into God’s sovereign plan of using some vessels for honorable use and some for judgment, separating the sheep from the goats on judgment day (Matthew 25:31-46). We may not like that Jesus’ message divides the saved from the unsaved, but it’s what he came to do.

38-39: When we cling to the sinful passions, worldly comforts, and successes in this life, we lose eternal life. But when we lose the lives of our worldly desires for the sake of following Christ, we gain eternal life and meaning. No matter how rich or powerful an unbeliever becomes, they forfeit eternal life for temporary, earthly gain.

40-42: God uses his followers to share the life-giving message of the gospel, and whoever receives this message receives both the Father and Son. Those who do good deeds to help His followers will be rewarded.

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1-6: John was imprisoned by Herod for declaring that Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife was sinful. Perhaps John doubted that Jesus was the messiah since most Jews expected a political revolution. Jesus responded to his doubts by pointing out how he fulfilled prophecy that only the Messiah could (Isaiah 35;5-6).

7-10: Jesus made the point that John’s crowds didn’t go out into the wilderness to watch mundane things like a reed shake in the wind, or a man in soft clothing. They came out to hear the preaching of the greatest prophet off all time. John prepared the way for the Messiah by gaining a following, preaching repentance, explaining baptism, and introducing them to Jesus.

11: Violent people such as Herod opposed the kingdom of God by force.

12: The old covenant system (the Law and Prophets) transitioned into the new covenant when John introduced the world the "the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. From that moment on, Jesus would accomplish everything required to reconcile God and man (Matthew 5:18.). The three year ministry period from Jesus’ baptism to the coming of the Holy Spirit was a transition from the old to new covenant.

13-15: In Malachi 4:5 God said he would send Elijah to turn hearts to God before the final day of judgment. Jesus said John was the fulfillment of this prophecy as an Elijah-type figure, and Luke 1:7 says John came in "the spirit and the power of Elijah". If God didn’t send John and Jesus to turn hearts, then He would have to destroy everyone in the day of judgment since no one could stand on their own righteousness. Even the old covenant sacrifices would have meant nothing without Jesus validating them (Hebrews 9:15).

16-19: Jesus criticized the Pharisees by telling them they were being childish that couldn’t be satisfied with anything Jesus or John the Baptist did. If Jesus ate and drank, he got accused of being a glutton and drunkard. When John the Baptist abstained from eating or drinking, they accused him of having a demon. No matter what a prophet of God did, they would find fault and it wouldn’t count as "dancing or mourning" according to the analogy.

20-24: Jesus pronounced judgment on unrepentant cities who witnessed Jesus’ miracles and heard the Gospel. Although Sodom and Gomorrah seemed worse than Capernaum, their judgment won’t be as severe as for Capernaum, who heard the gospel and saw Jesus’ miracles.

25-26: It’s God’s will to glorify himself by displaying both his mercy and wrath. Jesus was thankful for this because it brings God glory, which is the greatest possible good (Romans 9:22-23). The wise he referred to were the religious leaders and philosophers who thought the Gospel was foolish. The children are those who humbly trusted in God and accepted the Gospel message (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). Though it’s hard for us to accept, the glorification of God is a greater good than universal salvation.

27: Jesus is the only way we can have peace with God the Father. All attempts to connect with God through works and other religions will fail, leaving us in our sins. 28-30: Jesus invites all who are weary from trying to work their way to heaven to trust in him alone. He lived a perfect life that can be "credited to our account", and be judged as if we were Jesus himself. Only when we yoke ourselves with Jesus can we truly rest.

12

1-5: The Pharisees’ criticism wasn’t legitimate since Jesus and the apostles only broke a man-made rule. Furthermore, God made an exceptions to the ceremonial law by allowing David and his men to eat the bread in the temple, and for priests to perform their duties on the Sabbath. The ceremonial laws weren’t meant to enslave man, but provide a way for him to worship God. The Pharisees missed the entire point of the law and made it into a works-righteous system for their own glory.

6-8: Jesus’ claim to be greater than the temple and "Lord of the Sabbath" was a claim to be deity. He was the fulfillment of the temple system and had complete authority over the Law.

9-14: Again, Jesus was challenged for doing "work" on the sabbath. However, he pointed out that doing good works on the sabbath was not prohibited by the Law. Jesus’ discourse and miracle hardened their hearts.

15-21: Jesus withdrew persecution, but continued healing his followers in secret. This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the messiah would be silenced in the streets (Matthew 12:19). It fulfilled the prophecy when many gentiles put their hope in him.

22-28: Jesus dismantled their accusation by demonstrating that it would be counter productive for Satan oppose his own kingdom by casting out demons. He turned it around and pointed out that if it was the work of the Holy Spirit, then he was doing the work of God.

29: Jesus demonstrated his power and authority by first binding Satan (the strong man) and plundering his goods (the people Satan’s demons possessed). 30: If anyone rejects the only source of salvation (Jesus), they reject God the Father. There’s no middle ground of viewing Jesus as a good teacher while rejecting his deity.

31-32: It’s possible for people to blaspheme Jesus and react him out of ignorance, then later repent and be forgiven. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is when someone knows that a Jesus’ claims are true yet reject him anyway. It’s what the Pharisees did in the previous verses by attributing Jesus’ works to Satan. This is a sin against the Holy Spirit because the Spirit testifies and makes Jesus’ truths known to us. This is unforgivable because it cuts off our only source of forgiveness and salvation (Jesus).

33-37: Our words reveal the state of our heart and will convict us on the day of judgment.

38-42: God gave the Ninevites a miraculous sign of Jonah surviving three days in the belly of a fish, and they repented because it was clear that the prophet was from God. Likewise, the Queen of Sheba sensed that Solomon served the one true God and sought him out. When she saw the kingdom and heard Solomon’s teachings, she praised God. Just the same, God gave this generation a sign similar to Jonah’s by staying in the grave for three days and rising. And since they had more light than the gentiles mentioned yet rejected him, they would face judgment.

43-45: If a demon is cast out of a person and they don’t receive Jesus (have the Holy Sprit dwelling in them), then the demon may return in greater numbers than before. The Bible doesn’t expand on why demons can’t rest in waterless places. It may be literal dryness or metaphorical dryness, meaning without God or the Holy Spirit. The demons from Matthew 8:28-34 sought water after they indwelled the pigs. It’s possible this could be related.

46-50: Jesus’ spiritual family is closer to him than blood relatives.

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1-17: After telling the parable of the sower, Jesus explained his purpose of speaking in parables. God only gives spiritual insight to those who will receive him and encrypts it at times from those who will reject him. The first reason for God to have vessels for judgement and display his wrath. The second is to soften the sinner’s judgment by giving them less light to convict them. Jesus knew people in the crowd would both reject and accept him. Parables served the dual purpose of teaching believers while masking the truth from unbelievers that would face judgment.

18-23: The seeds on the path, rocky ground, and thorns all represent false believers who may have made a profession of faith and felt like they trusted in Jesus but never really did. The "path" convert loses his faith through spiritual warfare, most likely by being deceived by false religions or atheist arguments. The "rocky ground" convert rejects their faith because of persecution. The "thorns" convert chooses to pursue the lusts of the flesh rather than God.

24-30: This parable explains one of the reasons why God has chosen to withhold the judgment of evildoers and allow believers to face hardships in this world. God will destroy the physical world and renew it at the end of the age (2 Peter 3:10-11). However, if he brought about judgment day now, it would destroy both the evil and the righteous together. Jesus explained each element of the parable clearly in verses 36-43.

31-32: The parable of the mustard seed is a picture of God building his kingdom. His kingdom started with the humble origins of Adam, then Abraham, to the Jewish nation, and ultimately the Church of people from all over the world. Mustard seeds were the smallest in the region, yet can grow up to 15 feet tall. We know from passages such as Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6, and Daniel 4:21 that the birds represent the gentiles who were grafted into the kingdom. 33: Just as leaven silently permeates bread, the kingdom of God permeates the kingdom of the world. 34-35: During the rest of Jesus’ public ministry he spoke to the crowds in parables.

36-43: Jesus explains the parable of the weeds from Matthew 13:24-30.

44-46: People in God’s kingdom die to all worldly things in order to follow Jesus and become part of his kingdom. God may not put us in a situation where we have to abandon everything in our lives for him, but we must must be prepared to do so in order to be part of his kingdom. a passage in Luke goes as far as to say we must hate worldly things and relationships by comparison to Christ (Galatians 2:20, Luke 14:26-27).

47-50: On judgement day God’s angels will separate the kingdom of God from the kingdom of the world the way a fisherman separates fish. Those who have rejected Christ will face judgement.

51-52: Trained scribes and disciples understand Jesus’ teaching as fulfilling and supplementing the Old Testament rather than simply replacing it. Though the Old Testament doesn’t apply today in the same way it did to the Israelites, we can still learn much about God and how to live. We just need to make sure we understand passages in the context of the entire Bible.

53-58: Like the prophets of the Old Testament, Jesus was rejected in his own town for the things he taught. A prophet’s message is hard for those being prophesied about because the message is often convicting and announcements of judgment.

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1-12: Although John was the greatest man to live, he died an unjust death for faithfully condemning Herod’s sinful marriage. Jesus promised there would be injustice until he returns to restore all things and balance the scales of justice.

13-21: Jesus tried to isolate himself so he could mourn the brutal death of his cousin John the Baptist. However, Jesus selflessly chose to focus on the needs of the people instead by healing their sick and miraculously feeding them. Jesus’ love for humanity showed through his actions.

22-33: Jesus finally got a chance to pray and be alone. His miracle of walking on water confirmed his claims of deity, causing the disciples to worship him. He used Peter’s request to make a vivid illustration about trusting in God. When Peter trusted Jesus, he was able to walk on water. But when Peter doubted Jesus’ ability to keep him above, he began to sink. Trust/faith in Jesus is extremely important to God and without it we cannot please him (Hebrews 11:6).

34-36: By this time Jesus was well known and people brought their sick loved ones to be healed. Jesus never rejected their requests and likely spent entire days healing people. It was a glimpse into how he’ll restore all things when he returns (Acts 3:22, Revelation 21:1). 15

1-8: The scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus’ followers for not obeying their tradition of ritual cleansing before meals. However, their tradition wasn’t found in scripture. It was an extrapolation of the purity laws in Leviticus 22:1-7, which only gave ritual cleansing instructions to Aaron’s sons, the priests. Jesus strongly criticized them for their hypocritical judgment and for putting their traditions above God’s commandments. He gave an example of how they dishonored their parents through a tradition of "giving to God" rather then helping the needy. The Pharisees’ devotion to God was shallow and self serving, as captured by the prophecy in Isaiah that Jesus quoted.

10-11: Jesus used the topic of purity laws as an opportunity to elaborate on a difference between the old and new covenant. His explanation is in verses 15-20.

12-14: Jesus’ illustration of the plant without roots taught that they were dealing with condemned, false converts whose moral opinions didn’t matter. They were like blind leaders who cause their followers to fall into a pit with them.

15-20: By saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19). Dietary and purity laws were old covenant symbols that were fulfilled Jesus, making them obsolete. Under the old covenant, God chose Israel to communicate his truths to the world, and provided atonement for sin through the temple. Purity and dietary laws were important symbols to differentiate God and his people from the false Gods of the surrounding pagan nations. However, differentiation between Jew and Gentile is no longer necessary since Jesus was the mediator of a new covenant and provided both atonement and communication from God (Hebrews 9:15, Jeremiah 31:31).

21-28: Jesus retreated to Tyre and Sidon, which are in Lebanon. Jesus’ response to this gentile woman’s request seems harsh, but it communicated an important theological truth. God promised to bring the message of salvation first to the Jewish people, then to the rest of the world. Jesus and the apostles fulfilled this with their first evangelistic efforts and miracles (Matthew 10:5-8). But God graciously gives salvation to gentiles though we don’t deserve it either. I am personally among the gentiles joyful to be the dog at the table receiving the crumbs of God’s grace. Jesus saved this woman and freed her from demonic oppression because of her humility and faith.

29-31: Jesus graciously healed those who sought him, fulfilling the miracles prophesied about the messiah. Seeing these miracles confirmed Jesus’ deity and caused many Gentiles them to glorify the God of Israel.

32-39: Jesus not only performed miracles for the gentiles, he also miraculously fed them the same way he fed the Jews. It was a physical illustration of his grace towards the gentile nations.

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1-4: Jesus criticized the religious leaders’ demand for a sign because it was motivated by an irrational skepticism to try and discredit him. Jesus and the apostles performed many miracles that critics dismissed as Satanic. Jesus’ death and resurrection was the "sign of Jonah" as Jesus mentioned earlier in Matthew 12:39.

5-12: Jesus warned his disciples about the false teaching that permeates the way leaven permeates bread. However, they were focused on worldly things such as filling their stomachs and failed to see the metaphor.

13-18: Peter realized that Jesus was the Son of God from the prophecies about him coupled with his miracles. There’s debate about what Jesus meant by the rock on which he would build his church; some believe the rock was Peter’s statement about Jesus, some believe Jesus himself, and some believe it was Peter. The simple reading seems to be Jesus was referring to Peter, which means rock. However, this obviously wouldn’t mean Peter is the foundation of the church; he’s simply the first many stones that build up the church (1 Peter 2:4-5). Jesus is the head of the church and the cornerstone (the most important stone that holds everything together). The apostles laid the foundation of the church in the sense that they were the first followers of Christ and were commissioned by Him. Peter’s message at Pentecost was a pivotal moment in the early church, and many believed and received the Holy Spirit because of it.

19-20: The principle of binding and losing is elaborated on in Matthew 18:18-20. When believers follow the Biblical principles of church discipline, their decisions are guided by the Holy Spirit and God will honor their decisions. "Binding and loosing" refers to the act of "binding" the stray believer back into the flock and letting them "loose" by treating them as an unbeliever who is outside of the church community. God allows those in His church to manage these affairs and promises to honor their decisions if they are correct in their judgment, handling things biblically. In this way, Peter was given the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" during his ministry of church leadership.

21-23: Peter focused on "the things of man" because he wanted Jesus to immediately build his kingdom on earth instead of bring our sacrificial lamb and fulfilling God’s preordained plan. His statement was so counter to Jesus’ mission that it was satanic.

24: Jesus commands total commitment. To follow Jesus, we must deny our own desires and plans, and follow him even to the point of physical death.

25-26: If we try to save our life by clinging to the an earthly existence of safety, pleasure, or wealth, we give up having a fulfilling and eternal life. However, if we sacrifices the pleasures of this world and follow Christ, we will gain an eternal life of significance and purpose. No amount of earthly gain is worth the cost of our immortal soul.

27: Jesus emphasized how significant dying to self is by reminded them he will return again and carry out perfect justice on every person.

28: This statement could refer to one of several different things 1. could refer to the Holy Spirit coming to build God’s kingdom (the church). This would explain the the wording of him coming "in" the kingdom since the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers (1 Corinthians 3:16). 2. It could refer to the resurrection, when Jesus and other believers in his kingdom were resurrected. 3. It could refer to the transfiguration, which took place two verses later. Jesus gave his closest apostles a glimpse into his heavenly kingdom, and brought moses and Elijah.

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1-8: Jesus momentarily removed his physical veil of flesh to confirm his deity. God the Father audibly confirmed it as well. It’s possible that this was the fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction two verses earlier; that some standing there would not taste death until they saw the son of man coming in his kingdom. Those standing who saw it before death were Peter, James and John. The rest would eventually die without seeing Jesus in his kingdom form. Moses and Elijah are significant prophets and were included when Jesus gave his inner circle a glimpse into his kingdom.

9: Jesus was controlling when he would be crucified. Had they spoke of the vision too early, the people may have tried to force Jesus into power, and he may have gotten opposition from Rome or the Jews and crucified before his time (John 6:16).

10-13: According to Jesus, Elijah’s coming wasn’t literal. It was a figurative prophecy fulfilled in the form of John the Baptist, who came in "the spirit and power of Elijah" and prepared people’s hearts for the Lord. (Luke 1:17).

14-21: The disciples’ faith in Jesus was somehow wavering, and it affected their ability to cast out the demon.

22-23: Jesus foretold his death again.

24-27: Under the old covenant system, there was a temple tax (Exodus 30:13). Since Jesus and Peter were sons of God, they didn’t need to pay the temple tax. They weren’t outsiders who needed the animal sacrifices in the temple to be forgiven (Galatians 3:26). However, they paid anyway so no one would be offended. Jesus performed the miracle of the shekel in the Fish’s mouth. It’s possible that he caused the shekel to materialize in the fish’s mouth, or that the fish ad swallowed it and God providentially orchestrated events so Peter could catch it at that moment.

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1-4: The disciples’ pridefully sought the position of "greatest in the kingdom of heaven", but Jesus humbled them. The barrier of entry to the kingdom (the Gospel) requires that we have childlike humility and confess our sins, understanding our inability to contribute to our own salvation.

5-6: Jesus seems to build off of the previous sentence and is now speaking about children in the faith (Christians) rather than literal children. Receiving a Christian brother or sister in Jesus’ name implies agreement on Jesus’ identity and mission. Therefore, if we receive believers in this way it entails receiving Christ. On the other hand, if we cause Jesus’ children to sin, his judgment will be greater than a brutal physical death.

7: Temptation to sin is necessary to accomplishing God’s ultimate purpose of bringing himself glory. Without temptation there would be no sinners for God to judge or save for the purpose of displaying His judgment and mercy. Temptations also serve the purpose of sanctifying and identifying true believers (1 Corinthians 11:19). Temptations will come, but those who bring it will be severely judged.

8-9: Jesus used hyperbole to make a point about that we should make whatever sacrifices necessary to repent and cut off sin. For example, If our relationships, jobs, computers, or anything else traps us into sin, it’s better to cut them off than keep them and be thrown into the eternal fire (Revelation 20:15, 21:8). Jesus obviously wasn’t promoting literal self-mutilation, and Christians throughout the ages have never interpreted it that way. For example, Paul didn’t tell thieves to cut off their hands, he commanded them to use their hands to do good (Ephesians 4:28).

10-14: We should never despise fellow believers since they are extremely valuable to God and the angels, who wait for his command to protect us. The parable of the lost sheep illustrates this. It’s impossible for a believer to face eternal destruction because it’s outside the boundaries of God’s ultimate will.

15-17: Jesus gave specific instructions for how to deal with Christian brothers who stray from God and sin against us. We should never gossip or passive-aggressively deal with them through other people. We should confront them personally and privately. If this doesn’t work, bring one or two other church members into the discussion and confront them again. If this doesn’t work, the issue should be exposed publicly in the church. If this doesn’t work, then the Christian brother that has sinned and refused to repent should be treated as an unbeliever and excommunicated until he repents. This is church discipline—the goal of which is restoration.

18-20: This principle of binding and loosing is introduced in chapter 16. When believers follow the Biblical principles of church discipline, their decisions are guided by the Holy Spirit and God will honor their decision. "Binding and loosing" refers to the act of "binding" the stray believer back into the flock and letting them "loose" by treating them as an unbeliever who is outside of the church community. God allows those in His church to manage these affairs and promises to honor their decisions if they are correct in their judgment and handle things biblically. Jesus even promises to be in the midst of the believers making the decision to discipline someone. While God is omnipresent and is technically with every believer, this passage seems to indicate that his presence refers to his guidance in the matter of church discipline.

21-22: We should forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ many times. We are not in position to withhold forgiveness since our brother has received forgiveness from God, and we ourselves have received perpetual forgiveness for our sins.

23-33: This parable illustrates the absurdity of a forgiven person who withholds forgiveness to someone else.

34-35: It’s not clear to me what is meant by this passage since Jesus’ forgiveness is final and we can’t lose our salvation. Perhaps "delivering to the jailers" is referring to discipline or some other kind of judgment.

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1-9: The Pharisee’s question addressed the seeming tension between God’s design of permanence in marriage and the Mosaic law, which allowed for a certificate of divorce. God allowed divorce as a pragmatic response to mankind’s hard heartedness. Marriage vows could only be broken broken on grounds of a sexual immorality. The man who "divorces" his wife because he covets another woman commits adultery because the original marriage covenant was never legitimately broken and he still has a wife. Jesus updated the conditions for divorce in the new covenant by allowing it in the case of an unbeliever who wants to leave their believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15).

10-12: The permanence and risk involved in marriage caused some of his disciples to question wether it was worth getting married at all. Jesus acknowledged that marriage isn’t for everyone and there are legitimate reasons not to pursue it. Jesus illustrated his point by using the example of both voluntary and involuntary eunuchs.

13-15: It was a Jewish custom for a person to have a rabbi lay hands on their child and bless them. It was a symbolic gesture of bestowing God’s blessings upon them (Numbers 6:22-27). The disciples must have thought Jesus was too busy to bless people’s children and tried turning them away. However, Jesus saw value in the gesture and granted their request.

16-20: The rich young man was under the impression that he could attain eternal life simply by doing a good deed, ignoring all the past sins he committed. Jesus knew the young man’s motives and gave a tactful response that got to the heart of the issue. First, Jesus corrected the man’s shallow standard of goodness by pointing out that only God is good (Mark 10:18). All of mankind has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Secondly, Jesus pointed out that if the man wanted to work his way to heaven, he would have to meet God’s standard of perfection and obey every specific moral law (Leviticus 18:5). The man claimed that he perfectly obey the law and was either dishonest or deceiving himself.

21-22: Jesus obviously knew the man wasn’t really perfect, but He took him at his word and focused on the primary sin keeping this man from God: the idolatry of his riches. Giving up his "god" of wealth was too much to bear for the young rich man. Selling all possessions isn’t a blanket command for everyone and isn’t found in the law. It was a specific command for this man because it was keeping him from God. It was Jesus’ answer to his question, "what do I lack/need to do to be perfect?" The only way for the rich young man to be perfect in God’s sight was to give up his idolatry of wealth and trust in Jesus’ atonement for his sins.

23-30: Jesus’ illustration of the camel was meant to demonstrate that it’s impossible for mankind to work their way to heaven. It was first directed at rich people since that was the immediate context, but then Jesus broadened it to everyone when the the disciples asked. The disciples laid down their earthly lives to follow Jesus and received atonement for their sins. Jesus promised that their sacrifice of being last on this earth would pay off when he established his eternal kingdom.

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1-16: Just as the owner of the vineyard had the right to overpay some workers, God has the right to give more grace to some believers. The person who has a death bed conversion enjoys the blessings of heaven along with the person who came to Christ at a young age and served him all of their life. Grace is God’s to give and he wrongs no one when he gives disproportionate amounts, or withholds grace altogether.

17-19: Once again, Jesus foretold his crucifixion and resurrection to the disciples.

20-24: The sons of Zebedee (James and John (Mark 10:35)) and their mother didn’t understand what they were asking because they didn’t understand what was about to happen to Jesus. The cup Jesus referred to was the cup of God’s wrath in Mark 14:36. Their request to have a particular position of authority ("sitting at his right and left") was declined because God sovereignly reserved those positions for others. However, they would partake in the cup in the sense that they would also be martyrs.

25-28: Jesus called the disciples together to clear up their confusion about God’s kingdom. Unlike earthly kingdoms of authoritarian hierarchical rule, God’s kingdom is reversed. Humble servants are first in his kingdom, as the king of this new kingdom modeled this by "giving his life as a ransom for many".

29-34: The two blind men trusted in Jesus as messiah ("son of David"), and had faith that Jesus could heal them. Jesus granted their request.

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1-11: Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a Donkey fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. It caused a stir in Jerusalem, triggering a series of events that eventually lead to his crucifixion.

12-13: Jesus angrily forced merchants out of his temple. He was angry because the merchants were profiting off of God’s sacred system of atonement. He described their activity of selling pigeons for sacrifices as robbery.

14-17: Now that Jesus’ time to be crucified was near, he no longer avoided public events that would cause the religious leaders to conspire against him. He helped many in the temple and publicly accepted praise as the Messiah.

18-19: Jesus performed the miracle of withering the fig tree as an object lesson about Israel. The fig tree is used as a metaphor for Israel in scripture. Because national Israel was rebellious and not bearing spiritual fruit, they were cursed and barren after messiah came. However, God’s promise to Abraham would still be fulfilled through a remnant of Jewish believers throughout history and at the end of the age.

20-22: Jesus’ words presuppose that our prayers asked in faith must be in accordance with God’s will (1 John 5:14). If they are, even physically impossible requests will be granted. Noah’s prayer was answered and Red Sea was parted. Elijah’s prayer was answered and it stopped raining for 3 years. Jesus’ extreme example of the mountain was a way to say that nothing is impossible for God. If it were his will to move a mountain and the apostles prayed for it, it would happen with ease. The question naturally arises as to why we don’t see believers literally moving mountains as Jesus described. The answer is that there is no reason for God to perform the miracle; it was just a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the power of a faithful prayer when it aligns with God’s will. While t’s literally true that the mountain would move if the conditions for prayer were met, there hasn’t been a reason for God to perform such a miracle to accomplish his will. Signs and miracles were necessary at that time to confirm the message of Jesus and the apostles, but not today since we have scripture and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

23-27: Jesus was always clear about where his authority came from, but the chief priests asked Jesus this question just to incriminate him. He responded with a question that put them in the same predicament they put him in— if they answered truthfully, their lives would be in danger.

28-32: The parable of the two sons demonstrated to the religious leaders that they were false converts. From the outside it appeared that they were children of God, and that the sinners Jesus hung out with weren’t. However, the opposite was true.

33-46: The parable of the Tenants is about how Israel became corrupt and killed God’s prophets, including his Son. The religious leaders knew this parable was about them and it caused them to hate Jesus even more.

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1-14: This parable is similar to the one told in Luke, but Jesus slightly modified it for a different audience. God’s message of atonement was originally given to the Jews, his chosen people. When they rejected Him, He brought judgment (the destruction of the temple in 70AD) and opened the invitation for the gentiles to be grafted into his kingdom. In the illustration, the people came from the streets and weren’t prepared with wedding garments. This implies that the King provided them. The man who showed up but rejected the garment represents false converts who rejects the covering for our sins that Christ provides.

15-22: The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in a false with a dichotomy between either paying Caesar or God; it was a question of wether they should obey Jewish law or Roman law. They expected him to command paying God instead of Caesar, which could get him in legal trouble with the Romans. However, his response surprised them. Yes, they were to pay their taxes to Caesar, but God owns everything, including Caesar. So by giving to Caesar, who god providentially put into power, they were still obeying God.

23-32: The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a theological question. Jesus criticized them for their poor theology and corrected their views about the afterlife. In our resurrected bodies we will be like the angels, in that we will live forever and won’t have a need for procreation or marriage. He also corrected their view about the resurrection by pointing out that God rules the living, not the dead.

34-40: When the Sadducees failed in stumping Jesus to discredit him, the Pharisees also tried. Jesus’ answer teaches us about the Old Testament laws. At their foundation, the laws are all commands to either love God or love neighbor. For example, not making graven images or worshipping idols are ways to love God, and not stealing or committing adultery are ways to love neighbor. Even the civil laws were put in place as way for Israel to love neighbors.

41-44: Since the Pharisees held scripture in high regard, Jesus asked them a theological question and made a case for his deity from scripture.

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1-7: Jesus told his followers to obey the teachings of the Pharisees because their theology was accurate and they taught from the Law. However, he warned not to follow them in their hypocrisy and man-made additions to the law.

8-12: Under the new covenant, there’s no official hierarchy of of believers. We are all brothers, Jesus is our rabbi/instructor/priest, and God the Father is our father. We become a spiritual family in Christ with a bond deeper than biological family. The Pharisees sought prestige to be exalted, but followers of Christ seek humility to be exalted.

13-15: The Pharisees were blind guides that lead themselves and others into hell. They multiplied their own hypocritical, sinful characteristics in others.

16-22: In their hearts, the Pharisees worshipped money and prestige. Because of this, they exalted the gold and gifts in the temple more than the temple itself, which represented God.

23-24: Their tithe was superficial because they gave herbs while completely ignoring more important things such as showing mercy and justice to others, and being faithful to God.

25-28: The obedience of the Pharisees was as superficial as cleaning the outside of a cup or tomb, while leaving the inside dirty.

29-36: The Scribes and Pharisees self-righteously criticized the sins of their descendants who killed the prophets, but were just as guilty. They would eventually persecute the apostles and prophets of their day, and even crucify Jesus. Their generation, that killed Jesus, would face judgement in 70AD with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He may also be referring to eternal judgement for those who rejected and crucified Jesus firsthand.

37-39: The Israelites killed the prophets who prophesied against them. If they would have repented and turned to God, he would have protected them from judgement and gather them together. However, they refused and were therefore scattered and judged.

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1-2: Jesus prophesied the fall of Jerusalem.

3: The apostles asked when "these things" would happen, referring to Jesus’ woes to the scribes and Pharisees, their persecution of Jesus’ followers, and the destruction of the temple. They also asked for signs of Jesus’ return, which is a different question. It’s likely that the apostles lumped them all into one event in their minds.

4-31: Jesus started his answer by warning them of the many false prophets and Messiahs to come. Wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters characterize the current age and will become more frequent until the end of the age. The end also can’t come until the Gospel is preached on a worldwide scale, and those predestined to repent and trust in Christ will do so. There will be a period of tribulation, mass persecution, and the fulfillment of Daniel’s "abomination of desolation". After these things Christ will return and gather his followers.

32-35: Jesus used the fig tree as an analogy for interpreting the signs he mentioned. The generation Jesus referred to was the generation that would see these signs. We know this from verse 33, which mentions those who see the signs. The point was to emphasize how short the time would be after the final "labor pains" took place.

36: During Jesus’ time on earth, he was temporarily limited in his humanity and didn’t know the exact day or hour that he would return in his resurrected form. We can safely dismiss anyone who claims to know when Christ will return because scripture says no one knows. There is no secret code to be cracked or secret knowledge revealed to anyone.

37-44: Just as the flood was unexpected and scoffed at in Noah’s day, there will be an unexpected gathering of believers while the world is going about it’s business. The take away is that we should be ready (secure in our salvation) because Jesus is coming at an hour we don’t expect.

45-51: The spiritual state we’re in when Jesus returns will have eternal implications.

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1-13: No one knows the day or hour that Jesus will return and judge the world, so we must be prepared. The analogy is based on a wedding tradition in which young women would light the procession at night. The bridegroom (Christ) allowed those with lamp oil (those who put their trust in Christ/the church) to enter the marriage supper.

14-30: A talent is a unit of measuring money by weight. The purpose of the parable is to show that we should faithfully use the time and resources that God gave us (Talents). We are merely stewards of the king. Simply doing nothing with the time, talent, and treasures God gave us demonstrates that we’re not His children. Our resources and responsibilities are not distributed evenly.

31-46: There will be a great judgement at the end of the age, and all people will be divided into two camps: the righteous (saved) and the unrighteousness (unsaved). The "righteous" aren’t called that because of their works; their righteousness was given to them through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and was determined from the foundation of the world (verse 34). How we treat the least in God’s kingdom is a reflection of the state of our heart. Those who blessed the downcast in God’s kingdom did so because they experienced God’s grace in their own lives, and those who neglected them did so because they hated Jesus and his followers (John 15:18-19).

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1-5: Jesus foretold his death to the disciples several times so they could be prepared for what was coming and know who he truly is. He knew that behind the scenes the chief priests and elders were plotting to kill him.

6-13: In the worldly eyes of the disciples, pouring this expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus was a waste. However, Jesus commended the woman for offering a loving, sacrificial, symbolic act which prepared him for burial. She likely didn’t know the significance of what she was doing, or that her act of worship would be memorialized in the Gospel of Matthew, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy in this passage.

14-16: Judas was a false convert who loved money more than God, so he betrayed Jesus. 30 pieces of silver was the price Zechariah received for his labor (Zechariah 11:12-13) and the price of a slave in Exodus 22:32. 17-19: Jesus either prepared the room ahead of time with the man or simply providentially guided the events.

20-25: Jesus knew of Judas and the high priest’s plot to kill him and announced it in this way. Judas was an object of God’s wrath prepared’ for destruction (Romans 9:22), and it would’ve been better for Judas if he had never have been born. However, this doesn’t mean it would have been better in general that he was never born. God planned these events from the foundation of the world to bring himself glory and save the lost who would receive him. All events, including the evil done by Judas, results in the glorification of God.

26-29: Jesus taught them the symbolic act of communion, which unites us with him and our Christian brothers. Drinking the "blood of the covenant" symbolizes that we are part of the new covenant in which Jesus is the perfect sacrificial lamb that saves many. When we take communion we should remember what Jesus did for us and affirm it by taking the elements (Luke 22:19).

30-35: Jesus used Zechariah 13:7 to tell his followers that they would fall away from him but they didn’t believe him. He again mentioned his resurrection but they didn’t understand.

36-38: Jesus was sorrowful because there would be a temporary division in the Trinity. The Father judged Jesus as if he committed every sin that was paid for on the cross. We have no way of knowing what Jesus went through spiritually on the cross, but it was much worse than the physical torment he experienced. He wanted those he loved to stay awake and pray with him but they were too tired.

39-46: Jesus, in his temporary limited knowledge, asked if there was an alternative way to accomplish the Father’s will without pouring out the cup of his wrath on Jesus. The Father’s silence informs us that there’s literally no other way for the sins of mankind to be paid for. Jesus is the only possible being who can bridge the gap between fallen man and a righteous God; He allowed God to remain a righteous judge of sinners while graciously providing a path of atonement. Jesus’ persistent prayer to remove the cup is a prefect example of praying "God’s will be done", even when it contradicts our own desires. When he saw that the Father’s will was to proceed, Jesus got up and faced his fate out of love for us (John 3:16).

47-56: Jesus was an innocent victim but turned himself in peacefully so scripture would be fulfilled. When Peter responded with violence, Jesus rebuked him. Jesus made it clear that his teachings opposed violence and should never be spread or defended by the sword. All evil done in the name of Christianity contradicts the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

57-68: Many false witnesses came forward during Jesus’ trial, but Jesus was blameless and their accounts were either contradictory or couldn’t justify capital punishment. They tried to incriminate him on grounds of threatening to destroy the temple, but he remained silent. When Jesus claimed to be God they found grounds in the Jewish civil law to execute him. Affirming the title "Christ, the Son of God" was a claim to be God himself, and they certainly understood it that way based on their response. Also, his claim to be "seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven" removed all doubt of what he meant by his title. Had he just claimed to be a son of God in the generic sense, they wouldn’t have charged him with blasphemy.

69-75: Jesus prephecy that Peter would deny him three times was fulfilled.

27

1-2: Since the Jews were under Roman rule, they couldn’t carry out the execution without Roman authority. Pilate ruled their province.

3-10: Judas felt a worldly sorrow that lead to death rather than repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). His blood money was used to buy a potter’s field as prophesied in Zechariah 11:13. The obvious question arises of why Matthew, a learned Jew, would attribute Zechariah’s prophecy to Jeremiah .

11-26: Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing to deserve death, but felt pressure from the crowd and wanted him off of his hands. Pilate was not only in the middle of a tense political situation, but his wife’s dream made him realize there might be more to Jesus’ claims than he initially thought. The crowd’s hatred and jealously against Jesus was so deep that they released a real criminal instead. They sentenced him to crucifixion, which was a brutal Roman method of execution.

27-31: The thought of a man claiming to be a king yet facing crucifixion was so ridiculous to them the soldiers that they mocked and beat him.

32-44: During Jesus’ crucifixion he faced public mockery from the soldiers and crowd. Even the two criminals on the cross mocked him. However, we know from Luke’s account that one of the thieves on the cross repented after initially making fun of Jesus. At any moment Jesus could have called down legions of angels to save him and judge those standing before him. However, he stayed on the cross because he loved the very people mocking and torturing him. He knew that some of them, along with millions of people throughout history, would put their trust in him and be saved on judgment day.

45-50: Though Jesus knew exactly why God was forsaking him, he used David’s line from the Psalms to express how he felt as God the Father poured his wrath on him.

51: The temple curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, where the high priest entered once a year to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat. It was supernaturally torn from top to bottom to symbolize the end of the old covenant. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and mediator of a new covenant, so there’s no longer a need for priests, animal sacrifices, or the temple. We now have access to God through faith in Jesus. We can approach the mercy seat as if we lived Jesus’ perfect life.

52-53: Old covenant believers were resurrected and appeared to many people for a short period of time. This was a sign that would later support the validity of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection.

54: Several witnesses realized Jesus’ claims were true when they saw the supernatural events and resurrected saints. The very centurions who executed Jesus repented and trusted in him. There is no other mention of the saints, so they most likely were taken to heaven shortly after their bodily resurrection.

55-56: Several of Jesus’ followers watched from a distance as he was crucified.

57-61: Pilot was probably gracious in giving Jesus’ body to Joseph because he knew Jesus was innocent. Being wrongly executed and buried in a rich mans tomb fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9.

62-66: The whole point of killing Jesus was to end his religious movement, and the priests knew a resurrection claim would only multiply his followers.

28

1-10: the guards trembled and fainted during the supernatural events that took place. Since Jesus is God incarnate, he has an indestructible life, which makes him the only high priest who could withstand the wrath of the Father. Therefore, he rose again. As the second member of the trinity Jesus rightfully accepted the worship of his followers.

11-15: The religious leaders conspired with the soldiers and fabricated a story about the disciples stealing Jesus’ body. Although the lie was irrational, since the tomb was protected by a guard of trained Roman soldiers, it was the only other explanation they could come up with to explain the missing body.

16-20: Jesus’ great commission is God’s plan to grow His church and save the lost.