Matthew 1 - Birth of the King
The Son of David, The Son of Abraham (Matt 1:1)
Greatness: He is God (Matt 1:23)
Grace: He is God with us (Matt 1:23)
Matthew 2 - Bethlehem of Judaea
The Son out of Egypt (Matt 2:15)
Greatness: He is worshipped as one born King (Matt 2:2)
Grace: He subjects Himself to the care of earthly parents (Matt 2:14-15)
Matthew 3 - Baptism of repentance
The Son of the Father (Matt 3:17)
Greatness: He is the Lord for whom John prepared the way (Matt 3:3)
Grace: He subjects Himself to being baptised by John (Matt 3:15)
Matthew 4 - Beginning of the ministry
The Son of God (Matt 4:3, 6)
Greatness: He is in control of everything He created (Matt 4:24)
Grace: He subjects Himself to being tempted by His creation (Matt 4:1)
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2012
Outline of Matthew
The King's Person (Matt 1:1 - 4:25)
The King's Principles (Matt 5:1 - 7:29)
The King's Power (Matt 8:1 - 12:50)
The King's Programme (Matt 13:1 - 23:39)
The King's Prophecies (Matt 24:1 - 25:46)
The King's Passion (Matt 26:1 - 28:20)
* This outline is borrowed but I can't remember its source.
The King's Principles (Matt 5:1 - 7:29)
The King's Power (Matt 8:1 - 12:50)
The King's Programme (Matt 13:1 - 23:39)
The King's Prophecies (Matt 24:1 - 25:46)
The King's Passion (Matt 26:1 - 28:20)
* This outline is borrowed but I can't remember its source.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Voices in Matthew 3
Matthew 3:3
The voice of the forerunner.
Speaks of the Lord's importance.
Points to His high position (loftiness).
Matthew 3:17
The voice of the Father.
Speaks of the Lord's innocence.
Points to His humble position (lowliness).
The voice of the forerunner.
Speaks of the Lord's importance.
Points to His high position (loftiness).
Matthew 3:17
The voice of the Father.
Speaks of the Lord's innocence.
Points to His humble position (lowliness).
Friday, July 04, 2008
Born King!
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him. - Matthew 2:1-2
What tremendous words were uttered by these wise men of the east! It is bursting with significance! Pay attention to the question now. It was not "Where is He that is born to be King of the Jews?" Oh no, that was not it. But it was "Where is He that is born King...?"
The former would imply that the Lord Jesus Christ, here born as a baby, would sit on the throne and rule as king someday in the future. Probably in place of Herod the king at that time. However, Herod was not the rightful king of the Jews but a mere puppet king. His kingship over the Jews was hardly recognised by the people let alone by God. And so the Lord Jesus Christ was born King. From His birth He was the rightful Occupant of the throne of the kingdom. At His birth He was declared King already.
It's no wonder then that Herod felt threatened but it's sad that all Jerusalem was troubled along with him (vs 3). It took men all the way from the east to acknowledge the kingship of Christ and offer Him the worship and adoration due to Him.
What tremendous words were uttered by these wise men of the east! It is bursting with significance! Pay attention to the question now. It was not "Where is He that is born to be King of the Jews?" Oh no, that was not it. But it was "Where is He that is born King...?"
The former would imply that the Lord Jesus Christ, here born as a baby, would sit on the throne and rule as king someday in the future. Probably in place of Herod the king at that time. However, Herod was not the rightful king of the Jews but a mere puppet king. His kingship over the Jews was hardly recognised by the people let alone by God. And so the Lord Jesus Christ was born King. From His birth He was the rightful Occupant of the throne of the kingdom. At His birth He was declared King already.
It's no wonder then that Herod felt threatened but it's sad that all Jerusalem was troubled along with him (vs 3). It took men all the way from the east to acknowledge the kingship of Christ and offer Him the worship and adoration due to Him.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Give me oil in my lamp...
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. - Matt 25:3-4
Here lies the difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins. Not only that one group had oil and the other did not, but the difference also lies in the emphasis.
The lamp speaks of the outward profession of one who claims to be a Christian. The foolish took their lamps and took no oil. They remembered the lamp but forgot the oil. Some build on the outward so much that they forget that it's what's inside that matters more. We may emphasise attendance at meetings, good works, Bible knowledge and even fluent prayer but all this may still be manifested by one who is empty inside. The wise took oil...with their lamps. The emphasis this time was spot on. The oil first and then the lamp! True spirituality is measured from inward growth and not the externals. However, inward growth will be clearly seen from the externals. Oh that the balance may be found in me!
Here lies the difference between the wise virgins and the foolish virgins. Not only that one group had oil and the other did not, but the difference also lies in the emphasis.
The lamp speaks of the outward profession of one who claims to be a Christian. The foolish took their lamps and took no oil. They remembered the lamp but forgot the oil. Some build on the outward so much that they forget that it's what's inside that matters more. We may emphasise attendance at meetings, good works, Bible knowledge and even fluent prayer but all this may still be manifested by one who is empty inside. The wise took oil...with their lamps. The emphasis this time was spot on. The oil first and then the lamp! True spirituality is measured from inward growth and not the externals. However, inward growth will be clearly seen from the externals. Oh that the balance may be found in me!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Betraying lips
And immediately coming up to Jesus he (Judas) said,"Hail, Rabbi, and covered him with kisses." - Matt 26:49
I've always thought that Judas betrayed the Lord with one kiss (Lk 22:48). Only yesterday did I realise that he actually kissed the Lord repeatedly or covered the Lord with kisses. It's the same word used in the father's welcome of the prodigal son (Lk 15:20), in the woman's worship of the Lord (Lk 7:38,45) and in the elders' farewell for the apostle Paul (Acts 20:37). All done out of love for the object kissed. Oh how different was Judas' motive! While to the others the kisses were priceless, Judas valued his lot at 30 pieces of silver! Can't help but think of how much I too 'betray' and 'sell' the Lord for little, worthless, empty pleasures of this world.
But see the mercy of the Lord Jesus. It's one thing to allow Judas to land a peck on the cheek while fully knowing that he has the tracks of betrayal burnt in his unrepentant mind but this is a whole different level. The Lord allowed Judas to kiss Him repeatedly. How much it must have cut the Lord's heart as He would have seen right through every touch of the betrayer's lips upon His pure skin. Seeing right through the hypocrisy. No amount of kisses could hide it from omniscience. But what grace! The Lord allows him the kisses and the Lord still calls him friend. This one who never fully understood how the Lord was guiltless until too late. He who dipped his hand into the money bag but whose greed was still not satisfied that he had to betray the Lord for the price of a slave.
If the Lord showed such mercy to Judas, how much more for us? We who have been redeemed by the price of His guiltless blood. We who have found rest and shelter under His finished work. We who are now called sons of God because we know the Son of God, welcomed and loved by the Father. We whose sins have been forgiven by the grace of God. We who are brought in to be part of the body of Christ, to be conformed to the image of Christ. May we learn to love the Lord more and more, 'covering' Him with the 'kisses' of an adoring heart and praising lips!
I've always thought that Judas betrayed the Lord with one kiss (Lk 22:48). Only yesterday did I realise that he actually kissed the Lord repeatedly or covered the Lord with kisses. It's the same word used in the father's welcome of the prodigal son (Lk 15:20), in the woman's worship of the Lord (Lk 7:38,45) and in the elders' farewell for the apostle Paul (Acts 20:37). All done out of love for the object kissed. Oh how different was Judas' motive! While to the others the kisses were priceless, Judas valued his lot at 30 pieces of silver! Can't help but think of how much I too 'betray' and 'sell' the Lord for little, worthless, empty pleasures of this world.
But see the mercy of the Lord Jesus. It's one thing to allow Judas to land a peck on the cheek while fully knowing that he has the tracks of betrayal burnt in his unrepentant mind but this is a whole different level. The Lord allowed Judas to kiss Him repeatedly. How much it must have cut the Lord's heart as He would have seen right through every touch of the betrayer's lips upon His pure skin. Seeing right through the hypocrisy. No amount of kisses could hide it from omniscience. But what grace! The Lord allows him the kisses and the Lord still calls him friend. This one who never fully understood how the Lord was guiltless until too late. He who dipped his hand into the money bag but whose greed was still not satisfied that he had to betray the Lord for the price of a slave.
If the Lord showed such mercy to Judas, how much more for us? We who have been redeemed by the price of His guiltless blood. We who have found rest and shelter under His finished work. We who are now called sons of God because we know the Son of God, welcomed and loved by the Father. We whose sins have been forgiven by the grace of God. We who are brought in to be part of the body of Christ, to be conformed to the image of Christ. May we learn to love the Lord more and more, 'covering' Him with the 'kisses' of an adoring heart and praising lips!
Monday, April 17, 2006
...He was raised the third day...
And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and the third day he shall be raised up." And they were greatly grieved. - Matt 17:22
Everytime the Lord mentioned His death to His disciples, He almost definitely would follow it up with the mention of His resurrection. The disciples somehow managed to always miss the point though. Here they were grieved? But why? Didn't He end with mention of Him being raised up? They were stuck with the thought of His death. Sadly, little has changed.
There's a lack of emphasis on the resurrection of Christ these days. We stop short of His death and are grieved that such should happen to the Beloved of Heaven. We mourn that it's because of us that He went through such agony. We sing weekly of His sufferings but hymns about His resurrection are only sung once a year. We forget that the work is done, finished! The victory is won. We forget the power through the resurrection. We forget what the resurrection tells us about Christ Himself. Paul longed to know Him and immediately mentions the power of His resurrection first (Phil 3:10).
Christ resurrection marked Him out to be the Son of God in power (Rom 1:4). The resurrection points to Christ as the firstfruit (1 Cor 15:20,23). In the observing of the feasts, the Israelites were not to eat of the harvest from the land until they've offered up the firstfruit offering (Lev 23:14). We had no place in enjoying the blessing of our heavenly land until and unless the Lord Jesus is raised up as the perfect One, truly the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The resurrection sets the Lord as the Chiefest among ten thousand, conspicuous and important, the firstborn among the dead, having the first place in all things, preeminent (Col 1:18)! He's the only one to be raised from the dead by His own power through a perfect life, triumphing over all His enemies and ours, proving His omnipotence (Heb 2:14-15).
If in His resurrection alone we see such a display of power and might, imagine the display when all who have put their trust in Him are raised to join Him at His coming!
Everytime the Lord mentioned His death to His disciples, He almost definitely would follow it up with the mention of His resurrection. The disciples somehow managed to always miss the point though. Here they were grieved? But why? Didn't He end with mention of Him being raised up? They were stuck with the thought of His death. Sadly, little has changed.
There's a lack of emphasis on the resurrection of Christ these days. We stop short of His death and are grieved that such should happen to the Beloved of Heaven. We mourn that it's because of us that He went through such agony. We sing weekly of His sufferings but hymns about His resurrection are only sung once a year. We forget that the work is done, finished! The victory is won. We forget the power through the resurrection. We forget what the resurrection tells us about Christ Himself. Paul longed to know Him and immediately mentions the power of His resurrection first (Phil 3:10).
Christ resurrection marked Him out to be the Son of God in power (Rom 1:4). The resurrection points to Christ as the firstfruit (1 Cor 15:20,23). In the observing of the feasts, the Israelites were not to eat of the harvest from the land until they've offered up the firstfruit offering (Lev 23:14). We had no place in enjoying the blessing of our heavenly land until and unless the Lord Jesus is raised up as the perfect One, truly the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The resurrection sets the Lord as the Chiefest among ten thousand, conspicuous and important, the firstborn among the dead, having the first place in all things, preeminent (Col 1:18)! He's the only one to be raised from the dead by His own power through a perfect life, triumphing over all His enemies and ours, proving His omnipotence (Heb 2:14-15).
If in His resurrection alone we see such a display of power and might, imagine the display when all who have put their trust in Him are raised to join Him at His coming!
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