QT 3/31/2022 Matt 24:9-22, Lawless will increase in the last days

Matthew 24:9–22 (ESV) — 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

 

NOTE: Matthew includes this description of the tribulation period, probably because his gospel was written to a Jewish audience, and non-believing Jews will be alive living through this period. It sounds similar to Luke 20-24, but differs significantly with the last verse 24, "They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." This clearly indicates that the Luke passage is prior to the tribulation. There are many similarities between the judgment in AD 70 and the judgment that occurs in the tribulation, except the tribulation will be many times worse and across the globe. So, Luke answers the first question concerning the sign of the fall of Jerusalem. The Matthew passage lets the Jewish people know what life will be like during the tribulation period. The Jews are already hated around the world, but it will continue to increase in the end times. Some Jews, the remnant will take the gospel across the world -- we call this group the tribulation saints. The Antichrist will stand in the newly built temple and call himself god. Then begins the last half of the tribulation, also called the Great Tribulation. And like the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jews will flee to the mountain regions and hide. It will be a time of great pain. It is not just the Jews who will suffer, but all of mankind will suffer because we refused to believe and obey God. We have substituted our worldview for God's word. We have rejected his rule. We have placed our thoughts higher than his thoughts. We have rebelled, and we have no excuse.

 

PONDER:

1. The passage says that in the last days lawlessness will be increased, and the love of many will grow cold -- is that happening to me? Am I doing what is right in God's eyes? Do I care for others who are suffering?

 

PRAYER: Father, keep us safe during these days, but also may our boldness for Christ rise above the fears of our own safety. I pray we would be excellent witnesses for Jesus in our words, deeds, and care for others. I pray we would live according to the word of God and not according to the schemes of the devil incorporated in the culture and its worldview.

QT 3/30/2022 Matt 24:4-6;7-9, Where do we stand?

Matthew 24:4–6 (ESV) — 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.

 

NOTE: Verses 4-6 describe characteristics of the church age. There will be many who claim to be Christ (or a prophet like Christ) and many will be led astray. The church age is a time of many false belief systems: Islam; Mormonism; Jehovah Witnesses; etc. Also there will be many wars and rumors of wars in the Middle East, but that does not mean the end of the age has come.

 

Matthew 24:7–9 (ESV) — 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.

 

NOTE: Verses 7-9 seem to begin to answer question #3, the sign of the end of the age. The phrase "nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom" is a Jewish idiom for world war. Most war is regional and is common among nations butting up against another nation. But as the end of the church age approaches, world war among nations physically separated will be more common. This sign is one of the birth pangs and does mean the end of the church age is close. Additionally, tribulation (or suffering) will come upon believers as we near the end of the church age. Christians will be hated by all nations (some Nations (like Islamic and Communist) will put them to death). Some Christians will refuse to compromise or accept the worldview and they will suffer (cancelled; lose jobs; face ridicule for beliefs).

 

PONDER:

1. What or whom do we love more -- our lifestyle or our God? Soon, we will find out

 

PRAYER: Father, forgive us for shrinking back. Give us the courage to stand up against the redefinition of sex (which you created) or marriage (which you created) or morality (right and wrong, which you created) or sexual immorality (for which you created marriage).

Psalm 11:3 (ESV) — 3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

QT 3/29/2022 Matt 24:1-3, The days are coming to a close

Matthew 24:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

 

NOTE: There are three questions the disciples asked and Jesus answers them "out-of-order." And to make things more difficult, the three gospels are required to see the answers. Here are the three questions:

 

1.  Tell us when shall these things (destruction of temple) shall be?
• These things meaning the destruction of the temple
• Luke adds the question about the sign that this is to take place
2.  What shall be the sign of your coming?
3.  What shall be the sign of the end of this age?

 

Jesus answers the questions out of order: #3, #1, #2. And before really answering question #3, he answered it in the negative by giving characteristics of the church which are NOT signs of the Church age. These include:

• Rise of false messiahs (… whole history of false messiahs …)
• Existence of local wars

Neither of the latter two events have anything to do with the end of the age ("the end will not come right away").

 

• Interlude 1: The characteristic of the Church Age can be found in  Luke 21:8-9; Matt 24:4-6.
• Question #3: The Sign of the End of the Age is found in Luke 21:10-11; Matt 24:7-8.
• Interlude 2: Jesus describe the Apostles personal experiences: Luke 21:12-19 ; Mark 13:9-13.
• Question #1: Sign of the Fall of Jerusalem is only found in Luke 21:20-24
• The Great Tribulation: Matt 24:9-22 (important for Jews)
• Question #2: The Signs of the Second Coming is found in Matt 24:23-30; Luke 21:25-27

 

What does this all mean to me today? The days are coming to a close. I'm not sure if a generation is 100 years (God uses that definition in Genesis for the Jews return to the land) or 40 years (as in the time "this generation" saw Jesus' prophecy fulfilled with the temple -- but 40 years fits within 100 years as well). Just my guess, but I think we are within 26 years of the end of the age.

 

PONDER:

1. If the end of the Age was tomorrow, what would I be doing differently today?

 

PRAYER: Father, give me boldness and courage to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I pray people would see Jesus in my life. I pray that my life would attract people to Jesus. I pray that the church would not grow cold and distant, but that the true believers would wholly follow you.

Update 3/28/2022

I'm a little under the weather. Tooth infection or abscess really took me down this weekend. Resting today. I should be back tomorrow. Pray for strength and that the infection will go away quickly.

Thanks! In Christ, Tom

QT 3/25/2022 Matt 23:37-39, Salvation requires a free will choice

Matthew 23:37–39 (ESV) — 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

 

NOTE: God is profoundly saddened by those he has chosen to specially love. They were not willing. And so, their house is desolate. The church, a new entity of Jew and Gentile, will be dominated by Gentiles. The Jews will be a small remnant. Israel, as a nation, will not recover their faith until the end of the church age and the end of the seven years of tribulation. Faith has to be willing. God does not force salvation. God does not force love. Predestination does not mean "no choice." The Jews were unwilling to be gathered and loved. Predestination is not just foreknowledge, and it is clearly something that is too difficult for our 3-pound brains to understand when it comes from an infinite God. God is sovereign. Man has free will. God does not force men to believe. Men choose. And the men who choose are predestined according to his foreknowledge and sovereign plan. But what does all of that seeming contradiction mean to me? We must choose our course -- to believe in Christ and his work on the cross to pay for our sins, or to reject him.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I truly put my faith in the savior?
2. Or do I think church attendance, good works, and statements of belief will save me? They will not.

 

PRAYER: O Lord, how we need a real and vibrant relationship with you, not religion, not motions, not traditions, but a personal relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

QT 3/24/2022 Matt 23:33-36, We need the word to know truth

Matthew 23:33–36 (ESV) — 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

 

NOTE: When Jesus says, I send you, he is placing himself as God. He is sending his disciples out (whom he categorizes in three groups), and they (Jewish leaders) will kill … crucify … flog … and persecute. The phrase "this generation" is literally the generation hearing Jesus speak. In this case, the destruction of Israel and the temple (a million Jews according to Josephus) occurs 40 years later. They have heard and seen the Son of God in their physical presence, and they crucify him. Most of the disciples and many more in the first century will also die or be persecuted because of the Jews. Even though the early church is all Jewish at first and only transitioning to Gentile over the 40 year period, it is blinded Jewish leaders, vipers, who will attack his church. The majority of the opposition to Paul is Jewish leaders, and later idol-makers.

 

PONDER:

1. Whose side am I really on? The world's side with their distorted worldview or God's side with the inerrant scriptures?

 

PRAYER: Father, if we believe your word is true, why do so many believers spend so little time studying it? Give us a heart and hunger for your truth.

QT 3/23/2022 Matt 23:29-31, We cannot hide much longer

Matthew 23:29–32 (ESV) — 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

 

NOTE: This is a difficult passage to understand since they admit to being the sons of those who murdered the prophets but also say that they would have done differently -- what is wrong with that? Well, for one, someone much greater than the prophets was standing before them. They have already called him Beelzebub / Satan, and they were planning to murder him as well. Verse 32 seems to suggest that Jesus is saying, go ahead and do it, and by so doing add to your family's tree, the sin of rejecting the Messiah. Paul's letter echoes a similar thought (Blomberg, 1992):

 

1 Thessalonians 2:16 (ESV) — 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!

 

There is a coming judgment on a world of religious people for not recognizing the time of Jesus' calling. For those in America, there is no excuse, the gospel has been clearly shared. They have chosen to remain blinded by Satan, and accept a worldview that defies logic. They think they are being scientific, but they are believing in a system that has no proof.

 

PONDER:

1. There is no playing games anymore -- do I believe God and his word or not? What false truths am I hiding behind? What is holding me back?

 

PRAYER: Father, open the minds of those in the world who have chosen to believe in a lie (atheism, spirituality without God, science without God, religion based on activities, etc). Help them to see before it is too late.

QT 3/22/2022 Matt 23:26-28, Faking it is a dangerous game

Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV) — 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 

NOTE: The sixth woe could be view a couple of ways. One, the Jews whitewashed grave markers before Passover so that pilgrims would not accidentally touch one and become unclean (Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible. Galaxie Software). In this case, rather than being a help for people, these men made others unclean. The second thought, and probably more appropriate, is that the whitewashed tombs were quite elaborate and beautiful on the outside. They stood out because they were whitewashed. But, in reality, there was only death and uncleanness inside. In Acts 23:3 Paul seems to quote Jesus, saying to Ananias (unknowingly the high priest):

 

Acts 23:3 (ESV) — 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”

 

We can fool a lot of people with a show of Christian virtue. We can look good on the outside, but we can be spiritually dead on the inside. The woe is quite serious. We are not truly believers in God, but only riding a reputation as believers for our own status or advantage.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I really know Jesus?
2. Has Jesus convincingly changed my life or am I just show?

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the miraculous change I experience in my life when I believed in your son. The experience of the Holy Spirit changing me, which has continued to this day, gives me confidence in my born again status. I am an adopted son of God. Thank you.

QT 3/21/2022 Matt 23:23-26, Are Christians actually Christians?

Matthew 23:23–26 (ESV) — 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

 

NOTE: Both of these woes (the fourth and fifth) represent misplace priorities. Goodness and righteousness is hardly measured by your tithing, but rather on the true qualities of a Christina witness -- justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Likewise, outwardly clean plates and utensils mean nothing if inwardly there is greed and self-indulgence. I live in an (maybe the) age of Laodicea where people in the church think they are rich (great; in need of nothing spiritual), but Jesus says they are poor, pitiful, blind, and naked. How can believer sbe poor, pitiful, blind, and naked? The only way is if people believe they are a Christians because of their Christian activities, but they in fact have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. Their focus of life is on themselves and being comfortable but spiritually there is no life within them. They are spiritually poor. Their eyes are still blinded to truth and eat up the worldview that the media presents to them. They don't have clothes of righteousness that come with being born again. They cover themselves with their works and activities. They are in John's words, pitiful.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I truly have the Holy Spirit within me (the guarantee of my sealing into the faith)?
2. Do I see my life changing from the inside out, and becoming more like Jesus?

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray for the Holy Spirit to convict the world of its sin, of your righteousness (which is so much different from the world), and of your coming judgment upon the world. The days grow shorter and many will be shocked that they are left behind because they were spiritually blind.

QT 3/17/2022 Matt 23:13-17, What is important to me?

Matthew 23:13–17 (ESV) — 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

 

NOTE: Matthew lists seven woes that Jesus pronounces against the religious leaders of the day. The religious leaders were supposed to carrying the good news of the one true God to the world, but they themselves did not understand their own message nor did they help those searching for the truth. They were slaves to the wrong things, and they only added people to the hell they were living. Their teaching was hypocritical and focused on things that mattered to them (gold) as opposed to things that mattered to God (the temple because it represented his name).

 

PONDER:

1. What are the things that are important to me?
2. Are my important things, the things of God or the things for my enjoyment of life?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see where I live for myself and where I need to give up things to live for you. Yes, life can be enjoyed, but we don't worship this life.

QT 3/16/2022 Matt 23:8-12, Honorifics are a temptation to pride

Matthew 23:8–12 (ESV) — 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

 

NOTE: I think this has more to do with honorifics than the literal use of the terms. All three terms were Jewish honorifics. The New Testament does use teacher, and children still refer to their dads as Father. That is not the point of the passage nor does the literal sense fit with the context of the passage. The key idea is that honorifics over time corrupt the individual to think that he or she is better than others. It is better to forgo the use of honorifics than to deal with the resultant pride. I have a few honorifics: father, Colonel, Mr, and teacher. Only my children call me father, and almost no one except staff in the military clinic call me Colonel. Those who don't know me might say Mr and no one calls out to me teacher. I suppose some mistakenly call me Dr -- the PhD type -- to which I usually correct their error, but some continue it even after I have corrected that. I suppose I am also called sir because I am a director, but I also use the title as well for others. But the majority of people just call me Tom and that is the real point of the passage, to not be someone you are not or to not be better in title than your brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I proud of my honorific? Do I want to be called by my honorific? Am I upset when my honorific is not used? If so, I may have a pride problem, and am certainly heading that way.

 

PRAYER: Father, free me of the need for honorifics. I am just me and no one special. I may do some things well, but everyone does some things well. My goal is to teach others to do things better, both by training in leadership, and by training in Christian virtue. Beyond that I am only a servant (Matt 23:11).

QT 3/15/2022 Matt 23:5-7, Giving the glory to God

Matthew 23:5–7 (ESV) — 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

NOTE: Blomberg divides these verses into achieving importance by dress, position, and greetings. But basically, it is all about pride -- being recognized above others in a way that suggests importance and better than others. Blomberg had an interesting comment about worship,

 

One thinks of modern “high church” ceremonialism and “low church” showmanship, both of which often distract from true worship by calling unnecessary attention to the human worship leaders (Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 342))

 

Fortunately, we are blessed with leadership in my church that are not into showmanship. But everyone struggles at times with these things. I can remember being a military commander -- there was something special about the room being called to attention when I entered. I did not stop it because it was a military tradition and important for respect, and … probably I like it. But I think the years have shown me the foolishness of the feeling. I don't want to be noticed and I don't want to toot my own horn. But I do want to do a good job which may bring about recognition. My boss tells me to cast a long shadow. I like the phrase, because it is the shadow that is seen and not me directly. This all relates to being content, being comfortable with who I am and where I am. Rather than seeking status, I just need to do the very best job I can in all the things where I have responsibilities: teaching the bible, leading adult "intentional discipleship groups," and leading data scientists to build tools for the business.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I comfortable with who I am and where God has placed me?
2. Do I try to puff myself up so that others will "see" my importance?

 

PRAYER: Father, forgive me for my futile attempts to look good in the eyes of men. I want the things I do to make you look good. I want to make an impact by good works. I want to be content with my lot in life.

 

QT 3/14/2022 Matt 23:1-4, Teaching with integrity

Matthew 23:1–4 (ESV) — 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

 

NOTE: The scribes and Pharisees legally and officially sit in Moses' seat, the seat of authority. They teach but don't do, and they add burdens (the oral tradition) without following those rules themselves. There is always a great danger that a teacher abuse his authority. We teachers need to be honest and we need to act in integrity. We should do the things we teach. We don't have to be perfect, but if we are not doing the things we suggest, we probably should not be suggesting those things as applications. We teachers have a very special role from God that we should not abuse, no matter how small our class.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I do the things I suggest others ought to do?
2. If not, why am I teaching what I am not doing?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to evaluate my "applications" that I teach to make sure I too am doing what I suggest others to do. I know I don't have to be perfect, but I must make the effort to do what is right as well less I fail in integrity.

QT 3/11/2022 Matt 22:41-46, Putting God first

Matthew 22:41–46 (ESV) —

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

 

NOTE: The Pharisees could not understand the straightforward truth (that the fisherman, Peter, had already verbalized) that Jesus was the divine Son of God as well as the human son of David. The Pharisees rejected their Messiah and the fig tree was cursed. The fig tree at the beginning of this section is Israel. The fig tree was not producing fruit. Jesus cursed the fig tree. Individuals from Israel (one could call a new remnant) will rise up and carry the gospel to the world, but the nation (represented by its spiritual leaders) had rejected the messiah and brought judgment upon themselves (first in 70AD and again in the second half of the tribulation period). Jesus clearly knew who he was and what was going to happen in this last week of his life. This was their last chance, and the missed it.

 

PONDER:

1. God is very patient with us, but God's judgement must also be exercised. For the unbeliever, the days are running short.
2. For the believer, God is also our father, and he will discipline us for not taking him seriously.

 

PRAYER: Father, I do ask for your mercy. I do struggle in this body to do the right things. Forgive me. Give me strength to make the right choices and to put you first in all areas of my life.

QT 3/10/2022 Matt 22:34-40, Do we truly love God or is it only show?

Matthew 22:34–40 (ESV) —

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

NOTE: Apparently, this question was not easily answered or there had been great debate as to the most important commandment. I'm not sure why it would be important since the law requires you to obey the whole law and not the most important law. Picking one law out of 613 seems somewhat ridiculous. Jesus does indeed find two corollary laws with the same theme that encompass all 613. The theme is love. And all laws originate from this law of love. Jesus only differentiates that our love for God is the primary and first law. If we do that, the second, 'love your neighbor as yourself' will naturally flow out as well as all laws in the OT. But love for God must be the first and primary law. So we could simplify and say love God, love people. But I think we should not neglect the subtleties of Jesus' response. We are to love God 1) with all of our heart (our emotions, our desires), 2) with all our soul (our inner being, who we are, what we give our life to), and 3) with all of our mind (we need to seek God in our thinking, our logic, and our understanding of his worldview -- which is quite different from the world around us).

 

PONDER:

1. If we truly love God, we will give him primacy in our time, our decisions, and our energy.
2. What is the first thing I do in the morning?
3. Do I bring God into my decision-making? Do I pray about every decision?
4. What takes up my energy in a day? Probably work, but does God command any of it? Or is it just a few hours on Sunday?

 

PRAYER: Father, help us to reevaluate our love for you. Is it only a slogan or saying? Or do I truly love you with ALL of my heart, soul, and mind? We say things that we don't often believe or live out. Protect me from being a hypocrite.

QT 3/9/2022 Matt 22:29-33, Understanding bias in questions

 

Matthew 22:29–33 (ESV) —

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

 

NOTE: Jesus answers the Sadducees question very directly. Their question, as many difficult questions are, was premised on two major errors. The first error was that in the resurrection, life would be exactly the same as life is now, i.e., marriage. I believe it is clear that we will have relationships, but intimacy will be different. The second error is a result of their theology -- they did not believe in angels, hence they could not imagine different types of life existing. Jesus does not say that we become angels, that idea is not taught anywhere in scripture, only that we would be like angels in respect to relationships. Finally, Jesus main argument is based on the "tense" of a word in scripture. God use a present tense verb to explain his relationship to the Patriarchs, and not a past tense verb. So for Jesus, scripture can be relied upon all the way to the very tenses of words (not a dot or tittle will pass away until it is fulfilled).

 

PONDER:

1. What is my view of scripture? Do I hold it in the same sense as Jesus that every word has meaning and value?

 

PRAYER: Father, help us to study scripture with an inquisitive and logical mind. Yes, some places use common grammatical practices, but God has put it all together in a way that our minds can understand. May your Holy Spirit guide us into the truth.

QT 3/8/2022 Matt 22:23-38, Treating everyone with respect

Matthew 22:23–28 (ESV) —

23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

 

NOTE: The Sadducees could have phrased their question with only two brothers, but they chose the absurd situation of seven brothers to make their point. Jesus' answer is instructive because he essentially answers using two areas where Jesus and the Sadducees would disagree (life after death, and the existence of angels). Tomorrow, we will look at the answer. Today, I would like to focus on the Sadducees need to make the question ridiculous versus respectful. By making it ridiculous, the point is to shame the person answering, i.e., "how stupid that person is for not thinking through the implications of a belief." As we will see in the answer, the real stupidity was an assumption implied in the question -- that is, life after death will be the same as life before death. There will be some similarities. Our outward bodies appear to have some similarity (Jesus was recognizable, although not by all), Jesus ate food, life will have purpose, life will continue to have relationships, and life will experience beauty as well as many other sensory inputs. But as we later see in the answer, marriage is not part of our future life. The Sadducees would have come out better if they had shown a little more humility in their question. Why ask a question when your intent is to embarrass the person answering the question? Could it have been asked differently so as not to be so arrogant? The answer to both is yes, and we would do well to show respect to all people.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I treat people I disagree with? Am in respectful in my conversations?
2. Do I show arrogance in my question by making my argument, rather than just asking a question?

 

PRAYER: Father, Forgive me for my arrogance at times. Help me to treat all people with respect at all times.

QT 3/7/2022 Matt 22:15-22, Believers and pretenders

Matthew 22:15–22 (ESV) —

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

 

NOTE: Matthew adds without explanation the Herodians, who accompany the Pharisees to ask the question. The Pharisees opposed the Roman tax, and the Herodians had made peace with the need to pay taxes to avoid Roman wrath. In the questioners' minds, Jesus was guaranteed to get one group upset. Additionally, they attempt to "butter up" Jesus with flattery so as to gain a response. Given their previous responses to Jesus, the insincerity of the comments must have been quite obvious even if they weren't addressing God. Clearly they did not know or did they believe he could be the Messiah. Their minds could not wrap around the idea of "the Son of God." And yet, the evidence was there -- the miracles, his life, the sayings -- the evidence was clear. Their situation was worse than today, because they saw Jesus in the flesh. Today's atheists can argue about the documents being fake -- if you ignore the facts or the first generation of eye-witnesses giving their lives rather than denouncing the facts. These are the same disciples who scattered at his death and went into hiding. And then, they saw the risen Christ alive, and they saw him ascend into heaven, and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (the promised third person of the trinity), and they were never the same. Why? They were eyewitnesses!

 

PONDER:

1. Do we really believe or do we pretend?

 

PRAYER: Father, we should have the same boldness as those early disciples. We know the truth. We know our future. We know who we are -- sons and daughters of the king!

QT 3/3/2022 Matt 22:1-7, Prophecy confirms the message -- take heed

 

QT 3/2/2022 Matt 21:42-46, Israel missed the signs

Matthew 21:42–46 (ESV) —

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“ ‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

 

NOTE: All of this happened. Israel leaders (the builders of faith in Israel) rejected the Messiah. And every blinded Jew has been crushed by their unbelief. But for those Jews and Gentiles who have believed, they are the new people -- the church -- who are producing the fruits Israel never provided. The ruler's (GOD) son came to the vineyard (Israel), and the people killed the ruler's son (Jesus). But a marvelous thing to behold happened -- the son rose from the dead and became the capstone for the new people (the body of Christ -- the church). The leaders had a choice and instead of repenting, they looked for ways to arrest him. They were blinded by their own arrogance and sin. And that is the warning to us as well. The days of the church age are rapidly coming to close. We need to be about the job of furthering the kingdom. Now is the time.

 

PONDER:

1. Are we falling into the evil culture of this world?
2. Are we living upright lives that stand in stark contrast to the world's values?

 

PRAYER: Father, give us strength to live for you in a world that, more and more, hate you. Let us boldly share our faith in the risen Christ.

QT 3/1/2022 Matt 21:33-41, How close are we to the seventh millennium of human history?

Matthew 21:33–41 (ESV) — 

33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

NOTE: Since the leaders and especially the Jewish leaders would have recognized the vineyard as Israel from the book of Isaiah, Jesus' version of the story with the Father (God) sending his son is a direct reference to him as God's son and possibly was used by the high priest Caiaphas in his charge to Pilate ("he called himself the Son of God"). The parable is prophetic, God does send his Son and Israel does kill the son. And God judges the nation in 70 AD for not recognizing the time of his coming. There is still a judgment, and salvation for the nation that will occur in the tribulation. I don't know how close we are to the end of times. It seems as if things cannot get any worse. It is now approaching 2000 years after the death of Christ. Arguably there are 4000 years of recorded history prior, although the Jewish calendar only records 3791 years before Christ's death. Meaning, that we are nearing 6 millennium. Will the seventh millennium be the reign of Jesus on earth?

PONDER: 

1) What am I doing in these potential final days to share Jesus with those around me?

PRAYER: Father, thank you for my salvation. I pray I would not hide your light under a bushel basket but would make it clear to all. Give me boldness and courage to share with those around me.