Commuter Bible NT

Matthew chapter 18 is almost entirely comprised of Jesus speaking and teaching, with just two questions posed by his followers. Those questions are, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” and “How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister?” In answering the question of who is the greatest, Jesus brings in a child and says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. He then...

Today, Jesus takes the three disciples with whom he has a closer relationship up on a high mountain, and there, he is miraculously transfigured before them. This change in his physical appearance, accompanied by an auditory testament to his identity, is in some ways a “sign from heaven” which the Pharisees and Sadducees had requested in our last reading. Jesus did not reveal this vision to those m...

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were often at odds with each other concerning doctrine and philosophy, but they had a common link in their skepticism about Jesus. Today they ask Jesus to display his power with a sign from heaven. Christ has already performed numerous miracles, but these men have been blind to the truth; they can’t read the signs of the times. Later, Peter makes what is often calle...

The Pharisees and scribes liked to add traditions to the Law that were extrabiblical, meaning that we were found outside of Scripture. When they try to accuse Christ’s disciples of wrongdoing, Jesus turns the tables and shows them the way their traditions actually serve to violate God’s law, rather than fulfill it. He then teaches the crowd that it is not what enters a person’s mouth that makes th...

Earlier in Matthew we learned that John the Baptist had been imprisoned, and in today’s episode we learn the specifics surrounding that event. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, reigns as tetrarch over Galilee, which in short, is similar to a duke in medieval times. Sadly, John’s imprisonment ends in execution, an unjust end that foreshadows the even more audacious crucifixion of Christ. W...

Matthew 13’s parable-palooza continues as pick up the second half of the chapter in today’s reading. Following the two agriculturally based parables from the last reading (the parable of the sower and the parable of the wheat and the weeds) we’ll read the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven, each of which is used to explain how the kingdom will start small, then grow exponent...

The next two readings from Matthew 13 are a parable-palooza, so sit tight and hit the pause button every now and again when you need a moment to think about what Jesus is teaching. A large crowd is following Jesus, so he gets into a boat and puts out a little from the shore, giving him natural amplification, as the water would have carried his voice. Much of today’s reading is occupied with the pa...

So far in Matthew’s narrative, Jesus has demonstrated that he is Lord over disease, death, demons, and even Lord over Creation and the created order. He also demonstrated that he is Lord over men, offering forgiveness of sins to the repentant. Today Jesus demonstrates that he is Lord of the Sabbath, refusing to compromise his heavenly standard in order to submit to the scribes. Moreover, he freely...

We learn later in Matthew’s gospel that John the Baptist was imprisoned because he had been telling Herod the tetrarch that it was unlawful to have his brother’s wife. Herod wanted to kill him, but kept him in prison because he was afraid of the crowds. John the Baptist was a faithful prophet and forerunner to Christ, but he was still just a man who didn’t have all of the answers. Today, he asks i...

Jesus had many disciples that followed him, but of those disciples there were twelve men with whom Jesus had a special relationship marked by proximity, teaching, and title. In today’s reading, Jesus sets these men apart for the work of ministry and gives them each the title of “apostle.” He sends these men out with the message of Christ’s kingdom on their lips, giving them instructions on how the...

Thus far in Matthew’s gospel, we haven’t heard complaints from the crowds about any of Christ’s teachings or any unrest from his ministry to sick or suffering people, but in today’s episode Jesus begins crossing boundaries which had been laid through the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. After forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man, the scribes claim that Jesus is blaspheming, but he immediate...

In today’s reading, we begin to witness the power and authority of Jesus over creation, including not only the natural, physical realm, but the spiritual realm as well. A man with leprosy professes faith in Jesus to cleanse him, and Christ responds by healing him. A roman centurion professes belief that Christ can heal his servant from afar, and after lauding the man’s faith, Jesus does just that....

We are still reading through Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, and in today’s reading, we begin with what might be one of the most abused quotes in Scripture, which is, “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” Often people think the first part is the most important part, and they use it to tell others not to judge them. Jesus’ point however is to alert his hearers to hypocritical j...

The Sermon on the Mount continues in today’s reading, beginning with teachings on giving and praying. In summary, Jesus says to be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them, which flies in the face of most of mankind’s posture towards good deeds, because if it didn’t happen on social media, why do it, right? He also models how to pray, which falls in line wit...

As the new and better Moses, Jesus ascends a mountain and delivers the Word of God, only this time instead of being delivered on stone tablets, God’s Word is delivered directly from the mouth of God the Son. This section of Scripture is called “The Sermon on the Mount” and contains highly concentrated dose of Jesus’ teachings. Beginning with a section we call “The Beatitudes” Jesus pronounces unex...

In the first two chapters of Matthew, the gospel-writer covered the advent of Jesus and the many ways in which he fulfilled the Scriptures simply by being born. Today, as we cover chapters 3-4, Matthew jumps ahead to Christ’s adulthood and the beginning of his ministry. We meet John the Baptist who fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah of “one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord....

Today we begin the gospel of Matthew, which was written with a Jewish audience in mind, pointing frequently to the Old Testament. Matthew looks back upon some 60 Hebrew prophecies throughout his gospel, proving that Christ was God’s promised Messiah and the fulfillment of the Law. Not only is He the long-awaited King, He is also the new Abraham, that is, the head of the new spiritual Israel compri...

Those who trust in Christ know that a day is coming when the Lord will return to judge the living and the dead. But from Peter’s up until today and even further into the future as the Lord tarries, there will be scoffers who say, “Where is his coming that he promised?” The Lord has power to do as he pleases and is not confined to the constraints of time as men are, therefore one day is like 1,000...

The entirety of chapter 2 concerns the judgment that will fall upon false teachers. Peter warns the church against those who teach destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them. Such false teaching has not ceased, if anything, it has continued to increase as the gospel has gone forth into the world. Their judgment is sure, for throughout history God has brought judgment upon the wi...

The epistle we call 2 Peter is just a little more mysterious than 1 Peter, in that we don’t know the circumstances regarding the letter nor do we know whom the recipients are intended to be. Peter references this as second letter, which could mean that the recipients are the same as 1 Peter, but it could also be the case that the recipients are unknown and that the first letter was not held as Scr...

The book of 1 Peter concludes today with a short chapter including an exhortation to the elders of the churches to whom Peter is writing and a general admonition to resist the devil and remain humble. As he addresses the elders, those who were in charge of overseeing the local congregations of believers, Peter encourages them to shepherd God’s flock out of love and not for lesser reasons. Consider...

In our last episode, Peter spoke to the church about suffering, pointing to Christ who suffered during his life that he might gain a heavenly reward. Rather than living according to fleshly desires, Christ lived for God’s will; likewise, we are instructed to put aside fleshly desires and be done with sin. Instead, we are to live in such a way that we are wholly dependent on the Lord for each actio...

When enter chapter 3 of 1 Peter in the middle of a section concerning humility and right order in structures of authority and submission. So far he has given the example of citizens under the authority of those in public office, slaves under their masters, and today he will begin to speak towards wives and husbands as they relate to one another. In similar fashion, he transitions to speak to the c...

Peter calls the church a spiritual house that is made from living stones, with Jesus Christ himself as the cornerstone. Other stumble over this cornerstone because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. The church, however, is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. As such is the case, the church should be distinct from the rest of the world...

The apostle whom Jesus named “Peter,” the rock upon whom Jesus would build his church, is now writing to encourage the churches who are scattered across northern Asia Minor. The churches were suffering under persecution from those who lived around them, and Peter reminds them of the Savior whom they are called to follow, for he suffered for our sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighte...