Devotions from Matthew

Passage Read: Matthew 1-4 Meditation Verses: 3:7-10 John and Jesus both preached the same message: "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." John pointed to Jesus; Jesus pointed to Himself and the work He would do to purchase our forgiveness and transformation. For…

Passage Read: Matthew 5-6 Meditation Verses: 5:44-48 There are those around me who are not exactly my enemies; it's not like they're trying to do me harm. But they don't care about me or do much good to me or think much of my interests…

Passage Read: Matthew 7-8 Meditation Verses: 8:18-23 Jesus doesn't wait around for people to come and learn from Him. He didn't open a school and stay put for years so that any one willing could come and learn from Him. Neither did He follow around…

Passage Read: Matthew 9-10 Meditation Verse: 10:4 Judas Iscariot received authority to cast out demons and to heal every kind of disease. He went in partnership with another apostle to preach the gospel of the kingdom and perform miraculous signs. Yet he became the one…

Passage Read: Matthew 11-12 Meditation Verses: 11:25-30 Repentance is evidently hidden from the wise and intelligent, but revealed to infants! The wise and learned see the things that Jesus says and does, but don't get that they need to change their ways and conform them…

Passage Read: Matthew 13-14 Meditation Verse: 13:19 When someone hears the Gospel, the Word of God, and doesn't understand it, it is because Satan has snatched away that Word. It's gone! It's not still there percolating, waiting to sprout. It's gone. People want to use…

Passage Read: Matthew 15-16 Meditation Verses: 16:22-25 Jesus foretells His suffering, death and resurrection, but Peter rebukes Him (still thinking the two are mostly equals, I suppose), sure that nothing like Jesus says will ever happen. As if he knew that God would never allow…

Passage Read: Matthew 17-18 Meditation Verses: 17:17-20 Jesus calls out His own disciples, not just the crowd or the father or the child! If they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they could move mountains! Casting out that demon would have been a…

Passage Read: Matthew 19-20 Meditation Verses: 20:22-23 The cup Jesus is about to drink is that of His suffering and death, as payment for our sins. James and John would both drink of that cup, suffering for Jesus and His Gospel. James would be killed…

Passage Read: Matthew 21-22 Meditation Verses: 21:25-27 The chief priests and elders couldn't answer Jesus's question, not because they didn't have an answer but because they weren't willing to go on record with their honest answer. They hadn't believed John; they were offended by John…

Passage Read: Matthew 23-24 Meditation Verses: 24:48-51 Many say the Lord could return at any moment, but do they live in such a way as to be found doing His will when He arrives? Are they diligently seeking to know and understand the Lord's desires…

Passage Read: Matthew 25-26 Meditation Verses: 26:62-64 The chief priests and elders bring in many "witnesses" who accuse Jesus of different evils, but Jesus doesn't answer a single charge. This amazes the priests and elders, because they would naturally fight any false charges against themselves.

Passage Read: Matthew 27-28 Meditation Verses: 27:63-64 The chief priests and the Pharisees understood that Jesus had promised to rise on the third day. Jesus' own disciples didn't get the message; they didn't understand, though Jesus had repeated it multiple times. Yet these unbelievers had…