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Post by charlescameron on May 25, 2009 19:11:29 GMT -6
1:1-17 This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is not the beginning of God’s revelation. It is not the beginning of His redemption. The birth of Christ is the continuation of the history of salvation, recorded in the Old Testament. Matthew takes us back to Abraham (1-2; Genesis 12:1-3). Recalling the great events of the Old Testament, he takes us through forty-two generations. This history is the story of God’s grace. We may illustrate this with two striking examples. Rahab (5) was a ‘prostitute’, yet, by the grace of God, through faith, she also takes her place with the people of God (Hebrews 11:31; Ephesians 2:8). The story of David and Uriah's wife (6) is a story of deceit (2 Samuel 11) - ‘where sin increased, grace increased all the more’(Romans 5:20)!
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Post by charlescameron on May 26, 2009 5:59:57 GMT -6
1:18-25 The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel’(23; Isaiah 7:14). Christ is ‘God with us’. He was born through the power of the Holy Spirit (18,20). He is still ‘God with us’, when we are ‘born of the Spirit’(John 3:5). Some people do not believe what the Bible says here. They do not like the idea of a ‘virgin birth’. The Bible gives no encouragement to such unbelief. Matthew simply says, ‘This is the way it happened’(18). In view of the amazing thing God was doing - sending His Son to be the Saviour of the World - why should we doubt that God took things out of man's hands and worked in His own miraculous way? We rejoice not only in the miracle but also in its saving purpose: ‘He will save His people from their sins’(21).
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Post by charlescameron on May 27, 2009 6:21:28 GMT -6
2:1-6 We think of this chapter as ‘the story of the wise men’. It is not so much about the wise men. It is about Jesus. He is the central character. We are not told how many wise men there were. The word, ‘three’does not appear (1). We are not told their names. We are not told exactly where they came from - just, they came ‘from the East’(1). The important thing is that they made their journey. They came, seeking Jesus: ‘Where is he...?’. They came ‘to worship Him’(2). The wise men were led to Jesus not only by ‘His star’(2) but also by the Scriptures. When asked where the child was to be born, they answered by quoting from the Scriptures (5-6; Micah 5:2). Wise men are still led to Christ through the Scriptures. Reading the Scriptures, we become wise for salvation as we find Christ who is our Wisdom (2 Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 1:30).
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Post by charlescameron on May 28, 2009 15:17:21 GMT -6
2:7-12 Bethlehem was a ‘little town’. Humanly speaking, it did not have any great importance. Its importance is derived from the fact that it was the birth-place of our Saviour. When we think of Bethlehem, we do not think so much of the place as the Saviour who was born there. Herod says that he wants to go to Bethlehem to worship Jesus (8). Satan was speaking through Herod. Satan has no intention of worshipping God, and neither had Herod. Satan ‘comes only to steal and kill and destroy’. Christ comes to give ‘life... to the full’(John 10:10). As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Herod was not a worshipper of Christ but a servant of Satan. The wise men worship Jesus, then they return to their own country. We know nothing about their return journey, their destination or their life in their own country. Their whole purpose was to point away from themselves to Jesus.
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Post by charlescameron on May 29, 2009 17:30:38 GMT -6
2:13-23 The story unfolds according to God’s saving purpose and not Herod's Satanic schemes. Herod dies. Jesus lives. The purpose of man is defeated. The purpose of God prevails. Jesus’time in Egypt is full of prophetic significance (15; Hosea 11:1). Egypt was the place of bondage. God turns everything around, making it the place of protection (Exodus 1:11; 13-15). The emphasis is not on the place. It is on what God is doing, as He fulfils His purpose. From Bethlehem to Egypt and then to Nazareth - the young Jesus is being taken from place to place - all in the perfect plan of God. Again, the emphasis is not on the place but on God’s purpose. Nazareth was a humble place, dignified by the fact that God chose it to be the home of His Son. Our concern is not with wise men or famous places. ‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus’. ‘Stand amazed in the presence of Jesus’.
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Post by charlescameron on May 30, 2009 4:21:45 GMT -6
3:1-12 This chapter begins with ‘John the Baptist’(1). It ends with our Lord Jesus Christ concerning whom the Voice from heaven says, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’(17). Once John had served his purpose, once he has pointed away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, he retreats into the background. This is how it must always be. We point to One who is ‘more powerful’than ourselves (11; Romans 1:16). With John, we must learn to say, ‘Christ must increase, I must decrease’(John 3:30). The contrast between John and Jesus is highlighted in verse 11 - ‘I baptize with water... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire’. This is still the contrast between the preacher and the Saviour - We preach the Word. He sends the power. Still He says, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses’(Acts 1:8).
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Post by veterinarian on May 30, 2009 9:11:11 GMT -6
3:Once John had served his purpose, once he has pointed away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, he retreats into the background. This is how it must always be. We point to One who is ‘more powerful’than ourselves (11; Romans 1:16). With John, we must learn to say, ‘Christ must increase, I must decrease’(John 3:30). It gives me peace and joy to read this and know that when I act like God's child I am pointing to Him. Does that make sense, the way I have said it? I have wondered (at times) when I cannot talk about God if pointing to God with just my actions is enough.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on May 30, 2009 10:03:39 GMT -6
St Augustine I think said..."Preach the Gospel and when necessary use words"...
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Murph
Moderator
Be kind to your web footed friends. Amen?
Posts: 69,000
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Post by Murph on May 30, 2009 10:04:29 GMT -6
Reading one of these each day is like reading a devotional...
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Post by Keith on May 30, 2009 10:13:34 GMT -6
Amen, it is! God bless you Charlie...
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Post by charlescameron on May 30, 2009 17:13:16 GMT -6
Thanks for your comments. ----- 3:13-17 Considering the contrast between Jesus and John - John is not fit to carry Christ’s sandals (11) - , it is quite remarkable that Jesus submits Himself to baptism by John. Why does He do this? Jesus gives us the reason in verse 15: ‘it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness’. When Jesus uses the word ‘proper’(or fitting), does He use it to mean ‘according to convention’? No - He means that ‘it is fitting’into God’s perfect plan of salvation. It is part of His perfect obedience to the Father. It is part of what is involved in His giving Himself for us as ‘the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring us to God’(1 Peter 3:18). As well as directing us to the Cross, Jesus’baptism directs us to Pentecost - the descent of the Spirit (16; Acts 2:1-4). Christ died for us. The Spirit lives in us. Jesus ‘fits’our need perfectly!
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Post by charlescameron on May 31, 2009 15:33:04 GMT -6
4:1-11 God the Father has declared Jesus to be His Son (3:17). Now, the devil challenges God’s Word: ‘If you are the Son of God...’(3). The Spirit has descended upon Jesus (3:16). Now, the devil uses his power in an attempt to defeat Jesus. The devil sows seeds of doubt; the ‘if you are...’approach is just the same as his ‘Did God really say?’method used in Genesis 3:1. The devil is ‘crafty’(Genesis 3:1). He comes to Jesus, quoting from the Bible (6; Psalm 91:11-12). His real goal becomes clear in verse 9 - he wants Jesus to ‘bow down and worship’him. In Jesus’victory over the devil, we see the importance of Scripture - ‘It is written’(4, 7, 10). We learn that true life comes from God (4), true safety is found in God (7); and true worship is given to God (10). When the tempter comes, we must stand on God’s Word: ‘every Word that comes from... God’( 4).
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 1, 2009 6:02:05 GMT -6
4:12-17 Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus’temptations with these ominous words, ‘When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time’(12). Satan will try again, but - for now - he has failed to stop Jesus setting out on His ministry, a ministry which brings light into the darkness. The light is shining brightly - ‘the Kingdom of heaven is near’(17). Jesus’ministry is viewed as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (15-16; Isaiah 9:1-2). The prophecy had been given: Death will be overcome, men and women will be delivered from ‘the shadow of death’. Now, in Christ, the prophecy has been fulfilled: by His death, Christ has destroyed ‘him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil’ and He has set ‘free’t hose who live in ‘fear of death’(Hebrews 2:14-15).
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 2, 2009 9:09:52 GMT -6
4:18-25 Christ’s victory over the world was won for us (1 John 3:8: 5:4-5). Jesus was not a loner. He was a team leader: ‘From victory to victory His army He will lead’(Church Hymnary, 481). At the very outset of His ministry, He set about putting together His ministry team. Peter, Andrew, James and John were the first four disciples. He called them to follow Him. His call was both gracious and demanding. It is gracious because it is the Saviourwho calls us: ‘Follow Me’. It is demanding because He calls us to follow, to submit to His Lordship: ‘FollowMe’. These men were called to a new kind of ‘fishing’(19). Jesus’ministry reached ‘great crowds’through His ‘teaching... preaching... and healing’(23-25). This chapter sets the scene for Jesus' ministry. We see the Word of the Lord triumphant over Satan, fulfilled in Christ, and effective in the lives of the disciples and the crowds.
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Post by Keith on Jun 2, 2009 9:21:55 GMT -6
Praise the Lord! Thanks Charlie...
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 3, 2009 3:50:33 GMT -6
5:1-2 Here, we have the introduction to ‘the Sermon on the Mount’(chs 5-7). Reference is made to both ‘the disciples’and ‘the crowds’. The disciples are taught with a view to becoming teachers of the crowds. Peter learned from Christ and later he taught the crowds (Acts 2:14-42). The Sermon on the Mount was heard by the crowds as well as the disciples. Jesus spoke to the crowds. His ministry to the disciples had a dual purpose. It was for their own spiritual strengthening. It was training for the time when they would be entrusted with the Lord's commission: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’(Matthew 28: 19-20). Do you read God’s Word solely for your own benefit? Or, do we have an eye for ways in which we can learn to share His Word with others?
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 4, 2009 15:11:15 GMT -6
5:3-12 ‘The Beatitudes’ show us God’s way of blessing. We might also describe them as the Be Attitudes, since they show us what we are to be. Jesus teaches us that the way to happiness is the way of holiness. The only alternative to the way of holiness is the way of hypocrisy. There can be no true happiness when we are walking in the way of hypocrisy. Holiness is to take shape in our lives - the shape of Jesus Christ living in us. This is the truly happy life: the Christ-centered life. We are not to live according to present appearances. We are to live in the light of the future Reality of God's heavenly Kingdom. Some of Jesus’later statements can be viewed as an exploration of the meaning of the Beatitudes. The general principles (3-10) are to be applied personally: ‘Blessed are you...’(11-12). We are not only to read the Beatitudes. We are to live them.
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 5, 2009 9:24:26 GMT -6
5:13-16 Holiness is to be seen. Happiness is to be shared. We are not to be secret disciples. It will not be easy to live the life of Christ’s disciples. In a world of much corruption, we are to be ‘the salt of the earth’(13). In a world of much darkness we are to be ‘the light of the world’(14). If we are to bring the refreshing light of Christ into our world, we ourselves must receive spiritual refreshment as we let the light of God’s Word shine on our lives. Reading God’s Word can never be a purely personal thing. Being ‘the salt of the earth’and ‘the light of the world’- this is what Jesus says we are- , we read Scripture with a view to learning how we are to live in the world. Don’t lose your saltiness. Be salty enough to create a thirst for God in other people. Don’t let your light grow dim. Let it shine brightly. Remember - all the glory belongs to God (16; Psalm 115:1).
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Post by charlescameron on Jun 6, 2009 6:04:30 GMT -6
5:17-20 In verse 20, Jesus refers to ‘the scribes and Pharisees’. Jesus warned against the shallow superficiality of these men who were more concerned with outward appearances than inner reality. This conflict with the Jewish religious leaders lies close to the surface in the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus says, ‘This is their way. This is My way’, He is not calling in question the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures: ‘Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them’(17). He is in conflict with ‘the hypocrites’(6:2 5,16). He is warning against the ‘false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves’(7:15). What a difference there was between Jesus’ teaching and those who ‘preach, but do not practise’(23:3) - He spoke with ‘authority’, they did not (7:29). May we be like Jesus!
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Post by Keith on Jun 6, 2009 9:08:54 GMT -6
Amen!
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