THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:35-38 “Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 9:35) When is the last time you thought about the kingdom of God? How would you respond if someone asked you about the kingdom? Or if asked about the gospel, would your answer include the kingdom? Jesus’ good news boils down to this…
Author: Norm
Small faith, great mercy!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:27-34 “According to your faith let it be done to you.” (Matthew 9:29) This is a scary verse. If the quality of my faith determines the results, I am in trouble. This idea has also been used to explain why some people don’t get healed. But notice that Jesus does not say…
The sound of laughter!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:18-26 “The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him.” (Matthew 9:24) The synagogue leader and the woman believed Jesus to reach out to Him for help. The crowds were so focused on death, they could not see the hope of life. They laughed at the prospect of hope,…
Just give me Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:14-17 “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins.” (Matthew 9:17) Einstein said insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Religion and religious practices have been tried over and over again through the centuries. But religion has not made us better, and maybe it…
Do the right thing!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 11 “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) To be righteous or upright means to be committed to doing the right thing. This assumes a belief in right and wrong, but what about when society rejects this? We are living in a time when absolute morality…
No future without God!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Exodus 9:13-11:10 “Every firstborn son in Egypt will die…” (Exodus 11:5) In Moses’ Law, the firstborn – human and animal – belonged to God. The Levites were dedicated to God in place of the firstborn (Numbers 3:40ff). Every firstborn was to be redeemed (payed for) with a sacrifice (Exodus 34:20). In ancient times, the firstborn…
How to soften hardened hearts
THE STORY OF JESUS: Exodus 7:8-9:12 “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.” (Exodus 9:12) God is not making Pharoah do something against his will… he is stubborn by nature (7:14,22, 8:15,19,22, 9:7). But God is hardening Pharoah’s heart in order…
Mercy me!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:9-13 “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13) For the Jews, obeying God’s laws was of topmost importance. God commanded the sacrifices as part of Moses’ Law, therefore they must obey. God commanded separation from sin and sinners also, therefore they must obey. The problem is…
Authority on earth to forgive!?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 9:1-8 “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” (Matthew 9:2) Is Jesus doing the forgiving, or is He announcing God’s forgiveness? I believe that Jesus is acting as God’s representative. As the Son of Man (Adam), He has been entrusted with God’s authority. But remember, we were also…
Positive witnesses!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 8:28-34 “They pleaded with him to leave.” (Matthew 8:34) The deceiver does whatever he can to keep us from knowing the truth. We will be surprised to discover how weak the deceiver actually is. He specializes in fear and deception, but those are his only powers. If he can get us to…